Scientific Journal "Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing"
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Ideas of postpositivism in sociology: the reception by J. Berger, M. Zelditch Jr. and D.G. Wagner
stmm. 2022 (3): 161-185
DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2022.03.161
VOLODYMYR REZNIK, Doctor of Sciences in Sociology, Head of the Department of History and Theory of Sociology, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021)
volodymyr.reznik@gmail.com
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9955-0034
J. Berger, M. Zelditch and D.G. Wagner carried out a long-term reception of the ideas of postpositivism in sociology. In the 1970s, these researchers began to apply the concepts of scientific paradigm and research program to studies of the structure and dynamics of theoretical knowledge. They identified conceptual convergences and possibilities of combining various alternative post-positivist approaches in sociological studies. From the mid-1980s, they analyzed the metatheoretical implications of postpositivist ideas in sociology, defined the metatheoretical functionality of paradigms and research programs. In the early 1990s, the basic principles of postpositivism in sociology were systematized (the presence of non-empirical elements in empirical sociological knowledge, all facts are theory-laden, all theories are metatheory-laden). In the 2010s, the functional analogy of paradigms and research programs in sociology was discovered. Theoretical research programs at their local subject level function as universally accepted scientific paradigms and contribute to the theoretical growth of sociology.
Key words: positivism, postpositivism, scientific paradigm, theory, metatheory, research program, empirical research
References
Berger, J. (1974). Expectation States Theory: A Theoretical Research Program. In J. Berger, Th.L.Conner, M.H. Fisek (eds.), Expectation States Theory: A Theoretical Research Program, (pp. 3-22). Cambridge, Mass.: Winthrop.
Berger, J., Wagner, D.G., Zelditch, M. Jr. (1992). A Working Strategy for Constructing Theories: State Organizing Processes. In G. Ritzer (ed.), Metatheorizing, (pp. 107–123). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Berger J., Willer D., Zelditch M. (2005). Theory Programs and Theoretical Problems. Sociological Theory, 23(2), 127–155.
Cole, S. (2001). Why Sociology Doesn’t Make Progress Like the Natural Sciences. In S.Cole (ed.), What’s Wrong with Sociology? (pp. 37–60). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
Kuhn, T. S. (2001). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kyiv: Port-Royal. [=Кун 2001].
Maines, D.R., Molseed, M.J. (1986). Obsessive Discoverer's Complex and the «Discovery» of Growth in Sociological Theory. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 158–164.
Parsons, T. (1970). On Building Social System Theory: A Personal History. Daedalus, 99(4), 826–881.
Pylypenko, V. (2019). Metatheoretical trends in sociology at the beginning of the XXI century. In V. Reznik (ed.), Sociological Metatheorizing: History and Present Day (pp. 319–324). Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine, 2019. [=Пилипенко 2019].
Reznik, V. (2021). Analysis of research programs: a sociological perspective. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 104–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2021.04.104. [=Резнік 2021].
Seidman, S. (1986). Is There Theoretical Growth in Sociology? Comment on Wagner and Berger. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 164–168.
Szmatka, J., Mazur, J. (1996). Orienting Strategies, Working Strategies and Theoretical Research Programs in Social Exchange Theory. Polish Sociological Review, 115, 265–288.
Wagner, D.G., Berger, J. (1985). Do Sociological Theories Grow? American Journal of Sociology, 90(4), 697–728. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/228142.
Wagner, D.G., Berger, J. (1986). Programs, Theory, and Metatheory. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 168–182.
Wagner, D.G. (2007). The Limits of Theoretical Integration. Social Justice Research, 20(3), 270–287. DOI:10.1007/s11211-007-0045-9.
Zelditch, M. Jr. (1979). Do Multiple Strategies Converge? Society, 16(5), 25–30.
Zelditch, M., Jr. (1991). Levels of Specificity within Theoretical Strategies. Sociological Perspectives, 34(3), 303–312.
Zelditch, M., Jr. (1992). Problems and Progress in Sociological Theory. Sociological Perspectives, 35(3), 415–431.
Received 13.07.2022
Ideas of postpositivism in sociology: the reception by J. Berger, M. Zelditch Jr. and D.G. Wagner
stmm. 2022 (3): 161-185
DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2022.03.161
VOLODYMYR REZNIK, Doctor of Sciences in Sociology, Head of the Department of History and Theory of Sociology, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021)
volodymyr.reznik@gmail.com
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9955-0034
J. Berger, M. Zelditch and D.G. Wagner carried out a long-term reception of the ideas of postpositivism in sociology. In the 1970s, these researchers began to apply the concepts of scientific paradigm and research program to studies of the structure and dynamics of theoretical knowledge. They identified conceptual convergences and possibilities of combining various alternative post-positivist approaches in sociological studies. From the mid-1980s, they analyzed the metatheoretical implications of postpositivist ideas in sociology, defined the metatheoretical functionality of paradigms and research programs. In the early 1990s, the basic principles of postpositivism in sociology were systematized (the presence of non-empirical elements in empirical sociological knowledge, all facts are theory-laden, all theories are metatheory-laden). In the 2010s, the functional analogy of paradigms and research programs in sociology was discovered. Theoretical research programs at their local subject level function as universally accepted scientific paradigms and contribute to the theoretical growth of sociology.
Key words: positivism, postpositivism, scientific paradigm, theory, metatheory, research program, empirical research
References
Berger, J. (1974). Expectation States Theory: A Theoretical Research Program. In J. Berger, Th.L.Conner, M.H. Fisek (eds.), Expectation States Theory: A Theoretical Research Program, (pp. 3-22). Cambridge, Mass.: Winthrop.
Berger, J., Wagner, D.G., Zelditch, M. Jr. (1992). A Working Strategy for Constructing Theories: State Organizing Processes. In G. Ritzer (ed.), Metatheorizing, (pp. 107–123). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Berger J., Willer D., Zelditch M. (2005). Theory Programs and Theoretical Problems. Sociological Theory, 23(2), 127–155.
Cole, S. (2001). Why Sociology Doesn’t Make Progress Like the Natural Sciences. In S.Cole (ed.), What’s Wrong with Sociology? (pp. 37–60). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.
Kuhn, T. S. (2001). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kyiv: Port-Royal. [=Кун 2001].
Maines, D.R., Molseed, M.J. (1986). Obsessive Discoverer's Complex and the «Discovery» of Growth in Sociological Theory. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 158–164.
Parsons, T. (1970). On Building Social System Theory: A Personal History. Daedalus, 99(4), 826–881.
Pylypenko, V. (2019). Metatheoretical trends in sociology at the beginning of the XXI century. In V. Reznik (ed.), Sociological Metatheorizing: History and Present Day (pp. 319–324). Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine, 2019. [=Пилипенко 2019].
Reznik, V. (2021). Analysis of research programs: a sociological perspective. Sociology: Theory, Methods, Marketing, 4, 104–128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2021.04.104. [=Резнік 2021].
Seidman, S. (1986). Is There Theoretical Growth in Sociology? Comment on Wagner and Berger. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 164–168.
Szmatka, J., Mazur, J. (1996). Orienting Strategies, Working Strategies and Theoretical Research Programs in Social Exchange Theory. Polish Sociological Review, 115, 265–288.
Wagner, D.G., Berger, J. (1985). Do Sociological Theories Grow? American Journal of Sociology, 90(4), 697–728. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/228142.
Wagner, D.G., Berger, J. (1986). Programs, Theory, and Metatheory. American Journal of Sociology, 92(1), 168–182.
Wagner, D.G. (2007). The Limits of Theoretical Integration. Social Justice Research, 20(3), 270–287. DOI:10.1007/s11211-007-0045-9.
Zelditch, M. Jr. (1979). Do Multiple Strategies Converge? Society, 16(5), 25–30.
Zelditch, M., Jr. (1991). Levels of Specificity within Theoretical Strategies. Sociological Perspectives, 34(3), 303–312.
Zelditch, M., Jr. (1992). Problems and Progress in Sociological Theory. Sociological Perspectives, 35(3), 415–431.
Received 13.07.2022
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