Methodische Konsequenzen gesellschaftlicher Differenzierung / Methodological Consequences of Societal Differentiation

Bibliographic Data

ID8115123
AuthorsHartmut Esser (0000-0002-7768-2244, Gesamthochschule Duisburg, Fb. 1 – Soziologie, Marsilstein 21 5000 Köln 1, corresponding author)
Year1979
Volume8
Issue1
Pages14-27
Publication date1979-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueZeitschrift für Soziologie (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0340-1804 • E-ISSN: 2366-0325
PublisherDe Gruyter (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1515/zfsoz-1979-0102
OpenAlexW638684460
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited4

In the article it is tried to obtain some arguments for a special combination of ways to conceptualize and prove sociological theories by discussing some substantial social processes: Methodological Individualism based on cognitive theories of action is to be preferred against structural approaches insofar as structural theories depend on some implicit abridgements concerning the necessary elaboration of these theories regarding their individualistic foundation, which is of no further consequences in the case of segmental differentiation, but leads to more and more inaccurate explanations in the case of functional differentiation of societies. Choosing an approach, which combines Methodological Individualism and cognitive theories of action, it becomes possible to avoid the shortcomings of the critized structural sociology and to adopt an analytic-nomological explanation without accepting the relativism of the interpretative paradigm. Some examples from research on migration, attitudes and behavior, and deviant behavior are discussed; some consequences concerning research techniques in sociology are named

Action (physics · Cognition · Economics · Epistemology · Foundation (evidence · Individualism · Methodological individualism · Political science · Positive economics · Relativism · Sociology · Philosophy · Psychology · Sociology and Education Studies

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