Principles of Scientific Sociology

Principles of Scientific Sociology represents a major attempt to redirect the course of contemporary sociological thought

Informationen zum Autor Walter Wallace Klappentext 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. Zusammenfassung Principles of Scientific Sociology represents a major attempt to redirect the course of contemporary sociological thought Inhaltsverzeichnis 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...

Autorentext

Walter Wallace

Klappentext

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.

Inhalt
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 Var…