Walter Wallace

Principles of Scientific Sociology

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Principles of Scientific Sociology represents a major attempt to redirect the course of contemporary sociological thought. It is clear, well-organized, innovative, and original in its discussion of the context and methods of sociology conceived as a natural science. Wallace delineates the subject matter of sociology, classifies its variables, presents a logic of inquiry, and advocates the use of this logic for the acceptance or rejection of hypotheses or theories and for the solving of human problems. Social scientists, including political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, economists, social psychologists, and students of social phenomena among nonhumans, will find this work indispensable reading. Principles of Scientifc Sociology emphasizes the relationship between pure and applied sociological analysis. The essential contributions of each to the other are specified. Relationships between the substantive concepts of the sociology of humans, on the one hand, and the sociology of nonhumans, on the other, are systematized. In an attempt to put sociological analysis on a firm scientific basis, the book contains a concluding chapter focusing on central premises of natural science and their applicability to sociology. Wallace identifies the simple elements and relationships that sociological analysis requires if it is to lead to an understanding of complex social phenomena. On this basis, he considers the substantive elements and relations that comprise structural functionalism, historical materialism, symbolic interactionism, and other approaches to social data. He develops groundwork for standardizing these elements so that the contexts of different analyses may become rigorously comparable. The result is a fine, one-volume synthesis of sociological theory.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Routledge
• Seitenzahl: 560
• Erscheinungstermin: 15. Januar 2010
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 30mm
• Gewicht: 801g
• ISBN-13: 9780202363332
• ISBN-10: 0202363333
• Artikelnr.: 26433112

Autorenporträt

Walter Wallace

Inhaltsangabe

Acknowledgments 1. General Introduction Objectives Method Contents Uses
PART I: SOCIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION 2. Introduction to Part I A Generic
Definition of Social Phenomena Primary Distinctions Within Each Component
of the Generic Definition Social Structure, Cultural Structure, Spatial
Regularity, and Temporal Regularity Social Structure Plus Cultural
Structure, and Spatial Regularity Plus Temporal Regularity Social
Structure, Cultural Structure, Spatial Regularity, and Temporal Regularity
in Sociobiology 3. Social Structure Individual Physical Behaviors
Within-Individual Aggregates of Physical Behaviors Across-Individuals
Aggregates of Physical Behaviors Forms of Between-Individuals Physical
Behavior Coincidence Summary 4. Cultural Structure Individual Psychical
Behaviors Within-Individual Aggregates of Psychical Behaviors
Across-Individuals Aggregates of Psychical Behaviors Forms of
Between-Individuals Psychical Behavior Coincidence Summary 5. Spatial and
Temporal Regularities Dimensions of Spatial and Temporal Regularities
Social Change and Stability Social Spacing Types of Social Change and
Social Spacing Combined Summary 6. Hierarchic Structure in Social Phenomena
Four Variants of Hierarchic Structure The Principle of Hierarchic Structure
Complex Social Phenomena Summary PART II: SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION AND
PREDICTION 7. Introduction to Part II The Target of Sociological
Explanation A Generic Typology of Sociological Explanatory Variables
Qualifying Comments on the Typology Many-Variable Causal Models 8. Internal
Variables Materialism Nurturism Instinctivism Enculturism Summary 9.
External People Variables-Body Demographism Social Structuralism Summary
10. External People Variables-Mind Psychical Contagionism Cultural
Structuralism Summary 11. External Thing Variables Ecologism Technologism
Summary 12. Many-Variable Causal Models Hierarchically Structured Causes or
Effects Relations Within the Same Level of a Causal Hierarchy Durkheim's
Combinations of Causal Models and the Variables They Contain Summary PART
III: SciENTIFic PROCEDURE 13. Introduction to Part III Subject Matter
Procedures of Scientific Analysis Imaginary and Actual Analyses, and
Individual and Collective Analyses Pure and Applied Phases of Scientific
Analysis Understanding of What? Control Over What? Substantive
Interrelationships 14. Pure Science Observations Empirical Generalizations
Explanations Explanatory and Predictive Procedures Tests Summary 15.
Applied Science Plans Decisions Implementations Outcomes and Evaluations
Summary 16 Premises of Scientific Procedure, and Objections to Employing
that Procedure in Sociology Object Premises Subject Premises Objections to
Applying Scientific Procedure to Sociology Summary Concluding Remarks
References Name Index Subject Index