Logic of Social Research
Arthur L. Stinchcombe has earned a reputation as a leading practitioner of methodology in sociology and related disciplines. Throughout his distinguished career he has championed the idea that to be an effective sociologist, one must use many methods. This incisive work introduces students to the logic of those methods.
"The Logic of Social Research" orients students to a set of logical problems that all methods must address to study social causation. Almost all sociological theory asserts that some social conditions produce other social conditions, but the theoretical links between causes and effects are not easily supported by observation. Observations cannot directly show causation, but they can reject or support causal theories with different degrees of credibility. As a result, sociologists have created four main types of methods that Stinchcombe terms quantitative, historical, ethnographic, and experimental to support their theories. Each method has value, and each has its uses for different research purposes.
Accessible and astute, "The Logic of Social Research" offers an image of what sociology is, what it's all about, and what the craft of the sociologist consists of.
About the Author
Arthur L. Stinchcombe is professor emeritus of sociology, political science, and organizational behavior at Northwestern University. He is the author of many books, including "Constructing Social Theories" and, most recently, "When Formality Works: Authority and Abstraction in Law and Organizations", both published by the University of Chicago Press.
Reviews
"This is an important book. Arthur Stinchcombe introduces some much-needed practical wisdom into the topic of sociological methodology. Some of the silliest debates in the field seem to be about which method is superior to the rest. Stinchcombe lays waste to this notion and shows that we learn more when multiple methods are applied to the same problem. There is no other book like it" – Joel Podolny, Joel Podolny
"[Stinchcombe] elaborates on the four main methods used to address causal questions in social science: quantitative regression, historical, ethnographic, and experimental methods. The book is not organized around these methods buy around the general logical problems these methods address in different ways. Each method has value, and each has its uses for different research purposes. The logical problems elaborated on are the importance of distance or differences in studying causation, data collection, the use of data to refine and measure concepts, the influence of contexts on causal processes, the use of data to find mechanisms and processes, testing theories by testing hypotheses, and the use of data to refine theories" – International Journal of Public Opinion Research
"This book will be of interest and value not only to senior social science students. Philosophers of both science and social science will find much to consider in it... Discerning readers, particularly those educated in the humanities and social sciences, will be afforded the opportunity of both experiencing a master at work and appreciating a masterwork" – Geoff Water, Loyola Journal of Social Sciences
