Suchergebnisse

Why Unitary Social Science? pleads for a comprehensive appraisal of social reality. Tracing the visionary and transformative paths of reality from the subjective to the objective points of view, Mukherjee argues that it is precisely the division of social science into discrete compartments as disciplines that thwarts the emergence of an objective science of society. Social science is seen here as unitary with diverse specialisations emerging from a single base but proliferating endlessly as k

Bunge analyzes concepts that the fields of philosophy and social science share, such as fact, cause, and value. He discusses assumptions and misassumptions involved in such current approaches as idealism, materialism, and subjectivism, and finds that none of the best-known philosophies helps to advance or even understand social science. In a highly critical appraisal of rational choice theories, Bunge insists that these models provide no solid substantive theory of society, nor do they help guide rational action. He offers ten criteria by which to evaluate philosophies of social science and proposes novel solutions to social science's methodological and philosophical problems. He argues forcefully that a particular union of rationalism, realism, and systemism is the logical and viable philosophical stance for social science practitioners

Intro -- Preface -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- Hypotheses from Heaven -- Into the Fog Without a Compass -- The Cart Before the Horse -- Picking Only the Sweet Fruits -- Unresearchable Problem Statements -- The Rule of Action -- Organisation of This Book -- References -- Chapter 2: Scientific Knowledge and Practice -- The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge and Practice -- Scientific Statements -- Empirical Statements, Norms, and Practice -- More on Testing of Scientific Statements -- Our Social Construction of the World -- Science and Knowledge Development -- The Contested Truth -- From an Understanding of Knowledge to Social Science Practice -- References -- Chapter 3: Social Science as Reconstruction of Social Phenomena -- The Study of Social Facts and Phenomena -- Explanations in Social Science -- Social Science as Reconstruction of Social Patterns and Processes -- The Elements of Reconstruction -- Backgrounds -- Concepts -- Theories and Hypotheses -- Models -- Data Construction -- From the Building Stones of Reconstruction to the Logic of Reconstruction -- References -- Chapter 4: The Logic and Methodological Rules of Reconstruction -- Hypothetical-Deductive Research Logic: Explaining by Laws -- Abductive Research Logic: Uncovering Social Mechanisms -- Hermeneutic Research Logic: Interpretative Understanding of Social Phenomena -- Critical Theory -- Discourse Analytical Research Logic: Hegemonic and Alternative Frameworks of Understanding -- A Comparison of the Research Logics -- References -- Chapter 5: Design of Research Projects -- Research Purposes, Data Construction, and the Phases of the Design Process -- Research Designs and Purposes -- Theory- and Hypothesis-Testing Purposes -- Concept- and Theory-Developing Purposes and Questions -- Theoretically Interpretative Purposes.