Exam 4: The Meanings of Methodology

Can science be "value free"? How does each approach to the social sciences address the issue of being "value free"? Explain.

Applied and basic research were discussed in chapter 2. Which approach to social science is most likely to address each audience? Explain.

Positivists believe intersubjectivity is very crucial component of scientific research. Intersubjectivity states

According to the critical social science perspective, humans often have unrealized potential. Often this occurs when people treat human creations as if they were something separate and alien that have a force independent of the people who created them. This is called

Each of the three main approaches to social science makes assumptions about "nature of human beings." Compare and contrast the positivist, imperative, and critical approaches take on the "nature of human beings."

The postulate of adequacy states

The Redtail school district has inadequate supplies and textbooks for its students. The children of the Bluecrest school district have an excellent school district with all of the resources they need. Despite the obvious inequality between these two school districts, several members of the Redtail PTA argue that Redtail and Bluecrest school districts are treated equally by the state educational board. An educational sociologist from the critical social science approach would say that members of the Readtail PTA suffer from

Positivism seeks universal laws, and positivist researchers attempt to create law-like generalizations to explain events in the social world. This focus on laws in explanation is called

Having been exposed to the three main approaches to social science, briefly outline how each perspective would propose research on the social issues surrounding the use of the death penalty in the United States.

Indicate the approach that each term fits best. -Covering law model

Indicate the approach that each term fits best. -Nomothetic

Critical researchers put theory into practice and use the results to reformulate theories so that research encourages action in which people learn how to change the world. This idea is called

While positivists attempt to define laws of social interaction, postmodern researchers advocate which of the following?

What does "theory" look like for interpretative social science?

The interpretative social science approach is described as ideographic in its theory and method. What does this mean?

Indicate the approach that each term fits best. -Praxis

Social scientists use their knowledge in many different ways. How does each of the three main approaches to social science utilize the knowledge they learn? Utilize the instrumental, practical, and the reflexive-dialectic orientations to guide your answer.

Facts are viewed differently between the three main approaches to the social sciences. How do each of the three approaches understand social facts? How is each approach different? Does one approach bridge the differences between the other two? How?

Indicate the approach that each term fits best. -Verstehen