On Sociology Second Edition Volume One: Critique and ProgramOn Sociology--extensively revised, updated, and enlarged for this second edition--addresses the current state of the discipline. Looking to unify increasingly disparate areas of theory and research, John Goldthorpe presents a new mainstream for sociology, combining the demonstrated strengths of large-scale quantitative research and the explanatory power of social action theory. The author's wide-ranging mastery, extending over comparative macro-sociology, applications of rational action theory, and philosophical and theoretical debates on causality, to key questions in educational attainment and class analysis and to the history of statistics in the social sciences, make this an essential book for any sociologist. The collection of closely interlinked essays is presented in two volumes. Volume One begins with a series of critical essays that focus on methodological problems in certain styles of sociological work. The underlying theme is the need for recognition of a common "logic of inference" that must underpin qualitative and quantitative work alike. Volume Two illustrates and applies a new mainstream program, addressing various topics in social stratification to highlight different aspects of the integration of research and theory. Volume Two ends with two retrospective essays that place the concerns of On Sociology in the context of the history of the discipline in both the United States and Europe. |
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action theory actors analysis analytic induction appear argue argument arise basis believe Boudon Cambridge case-oriented approach causal claim class positions comparative concerned context criticism cross-national crucial cultural distinction economic effects empirical English Civil War Erikson essay essentially ethnography European Sociological Review evidence evolutionary psychology example explanation explanatory fact further Galton problem generalisation Giddens global globalisation theorists Goldthorpe grand historical sociologists grounds Hechter historians historical sociology holism idea individuals inequality insofar issues kind least macrosociology methodological methodological individualism methods Mill's methods mobility models Moreover observed particular phenomena political possible probabilistic problems of variation qualitative quantitative quantitative research question Ragin rational action Rational Choice Theory recognised regard regularities relics Richard Breen Rueschemeyer sampling seek simply situation Skocpol small N problem social science societies specific statistical survey research testing theoretical tion University Press variable-oriented variables
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Page 257 - H. Meyerhoff (ed.) The Philosophy of History in our Time. New York: Doubleday, 120-37.