The limits of social science : causal explanation and value relevance
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Bibliographic Information
The limits of social science : causal explanation and value relevance
SAGE, 2014
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [149]-170) and indexes
Description and Table of Contents
Description
What forms of knowledge can social science claim to produce? Does it employ causal analysis, and if so what does this entail? What role should values play in the work of social scientists?
These are the questions addressed in this book. They are closely interrelated, and the answers offered here challenge many currently prevailing assumptions. They carry implications both for research practice, quantitative or qualitative, and for the public claims that social scientists make about the value of their work.
The arguments underpinning this challenge to conventional wisdom are laid out in detail in the first half of the book. In later chapters their implications are explored for two substantive areas of intrinsic importance: the study of social mobility and educational inequalities; and explanations for urban riots, notably those that took place in London and other English cities in the summer of 2011.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Causation and qualitative inquiry
The problem of explanation in social science: A Weberian solution?
On the role of values in social research
From facts to value judgments? A critique of critical realism
Can social science tell us whether a society is meritocratic? A Weberian critique
We didn't predict a riot! On the public contribution of social science
Epilogue
by "Nielsen BookData"
