Elucidating Social Science Concepts


Book Description

Concepts have always been foundational to the social science enterprise. This book is a guide to working with them. Against the positivist project of concept "reconstruction"—the formulation of a technical, purportedly neutral vocabulary for measuring, comparing, and generalizing—Schaffer adopts an interpretivist approach that he calls "elucidation." Elucidation includes both a reflexive examination of social science technical language and an investigation into the language of daily life. It is intended to produce a clear view of both types of language, the relationship between them, and the practices of life and power that they evoke and sustain. After an initial chapter explaining what elucidation is and how it differs from reconstruction, the book lays out practical elucidative strategies—grounding, locating, and exposing—that help situate concepts in particular language games, times and tongues, and structures of power. It also explores the uses to which elucidation can be put and the moral dilemmas that attend such uses. By illustrating his arguments with lively analyses of such concepts as "person," "family," and "democracy," Schaffer shows rather than tells, making the book both highly readable and an essential guide for social science research.




Social Science Concepts


Book Description

To develop theories and research designs requires concepts. Gary Goertz provides advice on the construction and use of social science concepts and their use in case selection and theories. He also cites examples from political science and sociology to illustrate the theoretical and practical issues of concept construction and use.




Social Science Concepts and Measurement


Book Description

A fully revised edition of the classic reference on concepts and their role in social science research Social Science Concepts and Measurement offers an updated look at the theory and methodology of concepts for the social sciences. Emphasizing that most concepts are multilevel and multidimensional, this revised edition continues to bring the qualitative and quantitative closer together, with new chapters devoted to scaling, aggregation, and the methodological links between the semantics of concepts and numeric measures. In addition, it stresses that concepts are used for description and causal inference, and contain normative judgments. Initial chapters focus on conceptualization, followed by chapters on issues of measurement. The textbook examines concepts in the international arena (such as the global performance indicators used by international organizations like the UN and the World Bank), as well as classic paired concepts such as poverty and wealth, democracy and authoritarianism, and war and peace. Additionally, it explores such topics as typologies, hybrid concepts, and how complex concepts constitute complex theories. The volume serves as a guide to the methodology of concepts in the classroom and is accompanied by more than two hundred exercises. Social Science Concepts and Measurement is an indispensable resource for graduate students and scholars.







The Social Science


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Cause and Meaning in the Social Sciences


Book Description

This volume focuses on key conceptual issues in the social sciences, such as Winch's idea of a social science, structuralism, Malinowski and Evans-Pritchard, and the concept of kinship. In particular it deals with such problems as the relationship of nature and culture, the relevance of concepts drawn from within a given society to its understanding, and the relation of theory to time.




The Social Sciences


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Power & Society


Book Description

"Through six successful editions of Power and Society, Thomas R. Dye has encouraged readers to pursue their interests in the social sciences by illustrating how important these disciplines are to understanding many conditions of our lives." "As Dye introduces readers to the central concepts of sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, history, and psychology, he links elements of these disciplines through a dynamic and unifying theme: the manifestation of power in society. With this idea in mind, readers gain a real sense of social scientists' interests as they explore power in the context of social problems such as racism, sexism, poverty, crime, violence, urban decay, and international and ideological conflict." "Dye's presentation includes analyses of social science research studies and the contributions of masters of social thought such as Bertrand Russell, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Evocative discussions are enhanced with case studies and cross-national perspectives to highlight critical ideas, including the power and society theme." "The approach of learning to understand power as an integral part of our social world continues with great impact in this seventh edition. Among the new topics readers will find how men and women view their relations today; evolutionary psychology: the mating game; the burdens of government debt; Native Americans: an historical overview; social scientists look at sex in America; treating mental illness; a brief history of the cold war; the long history of women's protests; sexual harassment and the law; and should we limit the terms of Congress members?"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved




Research Methods in the Social Sciences: an A-Z of Key Concepts


Book Description

Research Methods in the Social Sciences is a comprehensive yet compact A-Z for undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking research across the social sciences, featuring 71 entries that cover a wide range of concepts, methods, and theories. Each entry begins with an accessible introduction to a method, using real-world examples from a wide range of academic disciplines, before discussing the benefits and limitations of the approach, its current status in academic practice, and finally providing tips and advice for readers on when and how to apply the method in their own research. Wide ranging and interdisciplinary, the text covers both well-established concepts and emerging ideas, such as big data and network analysis, for qualitative and quantitative research methods. All entries feature extensive cross-referencing, providing ease of navigation and, pointing readers to related concepts, and to help build their overall understanding of research methods.




The Social Sciences


Book Description