Verified Document

Social Science Religion, Society, And Term Paper

8). The questionnaires used in answering the first two questions are examples of these research methods. It is also extremely unlikely that the findings of any such study would ever be replicable, which is one of the hallmarks fo the scientific method in the hard sciences (Perry & Perry 2008). As society is in a constant state of change, the results found in one study (which would take several months if not years to complete) would likely no longer be fully applicable if another study taking a similar period of time were conducted. The degree to which the two studies agreed might be a useful measure of the validity of the studies, but if the conclusions were too similar it would actually suggest that the questions were probably too vague and non-definitive, whereas a wide divergence might be accounted for by radical social shifts that occurred in the interim. Thus, though the scientific method must certainly be applied to the examination of social questions,...

Instead, a simple understanding of the scientific method's limitations in the social or "soft" sciences must be reached and utilized during the course of research. It is important that the scientific method be utilized insofar as possible, and only departed from when the realities of the investigation truly demand it -- and even then, the uncertainty of data and conclusions must be acknowledged and understood. In this way, though they will never be capable of true scientific certainty, the social science can remain viable.
References

Perry, J. & Perry, E. (2008). Contemporary society: An introduction to social science, 12th ed. Pearson.

Sources used in this document:
References

Perry, J. & Perry, E. (2008). Contemporary society: An introduction to social science, 12th ed. Pearson.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Social Science 8382 Australia May Not Necessarily
Words: 1253 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Social Science 8382 Australia may not necessarily be a democracy The term democracy has been derived from a Greek word 'demokratia' that translates to 'rule of the people' (Liddell & Scott, 1996). Democracy was famously described by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America, as the 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people'. As the translation itself defines, democracy is a form of government in

Social Science and Why Is It Important
Words: 1276 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Social Science and Why Is it Important? The definition of social science has been narrowed down to those sciences that deal with human activities and human behavior as opposed to science that studies natural phenomenon. However this division may be superfluous now because modern science has its origin from the old social sciences. Science evolved from the society which also contained many thoughts that may be out of the realm

Social Sciences Background- for Centuries,
Words: 1340 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

It was originally established in the early 19th century by Auguste Comte who tried to unify history, psychology and economics through an understanding of society as a broad paradigm. Emile Durkheim took this a bit further and focused on the way societies could maintain a sort of integrity within the modern work where past cultural trends (religion, ethnicity, etc.) were no longer the singular part of society. His view,

Darwinism and the Standard Social Science Model
Words: 2086 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

Darwinism and the Standard Social Science Model If the Standard Social Science Model is mistaken, then we are less altruistic than would otherwise be the case'. Put another way, the same statement could read, "If culture is not the underlying cause of human behavior, then human beings are more selfish than they would be if culture were the underlying cause of human behavior." An evaluation of this statement rests not only on

Health and Social Sciences Grade Course Health,
Words: 2334 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Health and Social Sciences Grade Course Health, Well Being and Social Care in UK Sociological Perspective of Health and Well Being in UK Psychological Perspective of Health and Well Being in UK Psycho-Social Needs of Service Users in UK Health and Social Sciences This report casts light upon the various aspects of physical and mental health of people living in United Kingdom. The selected sample chosen for this study belongs to the settings of people who do

Anthropology: The Fundamental Social Science Anthropology Is,
Words: 815 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Anthropology: The Fundamental Social Science Anthropology is, according the American Anthropological Association, "the study of humans, past and present" (AAA, 2011). Anthropology looks at what it means to be human; it is "a field of inquiry that studies human culture and evolutionary aspects of human biology, including cultural anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, and biological anthropology" (Jurmain, Kilgore, & Trevathan 2006: 6). It, therefore, is the fundamental social (and behavioral) science discipline that

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now