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UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, RESEARCH &

PHILOSOPHY

3 LECTURE HOURS

Rahul. K. Shakya
MPhil Candidate
MSW, BA
UNDERSTANDING RESEARCH
The concept of research differs
Business Research
Graduate Students Research
Television News Channel Research
Social Research
Scientific Research
Online Research
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
However a Scientific Research should:
“Contribute to the body of Science”
&
“Follow Scientific Method”
WHAT IS SCIENCE?
It may refer to a difficult high school subject.
Only for the bright students
A craft practiced by scientists using special
equipment.
PICTURIZING SCIENCE

Source: http://bigtehran.basijelmi.ir/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2015/08/Cartoon-Logo.jpg
UNDERSTANDING SCIENCE

Systematic and organized body of knowledge.


It is acquired using scientific method.
Divided into two categories:
Natural Science & Social Science
NATURAL SCIENCE: A GLIMPSE
Naturally occurring objects of phenomena
Examples: Light, objects, matter, earth, celestial
bodies or human bodies.
Further categorized into: Physical, Earth and Life
Science
NATURAL SCIENCE: A GLIMPSE

Physical Science: Physics, Chemistry and


Astronomy
Earth Science: Geology
Life Science: Biology & Botany
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Science of people or collection of people.
Example: Groups, firms, societies of economies.
Study of individual or collective behavior.
Classified into Psychology, Sociology,
Economics……
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Psychology: Science of Human Behaviors
Sociology: Science of Human Groups
Economics: Science of firms, markets and
economies….)
NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE
Natural and Social Science differs in many ways.
Natural Science are very precise, accurate,
deterministic and independent.
Example: Weighing an object
Two students conducting same experiment
NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

Measuring a phenomena in Social Science is


different.
Example: Happiness of a person
There are no accurate measurement of happiness
“Likert Scale tends to measure emotions, feelings,
etc.
SCIENCE ON PURPOSE
Basic or Pure Science
“Explains basic objects, relationship between them and laws governing them”
Example: Physics, Mathematics, Biology
Applied Science
“Apply scientific knowledge from basic sciences in physical environments”
Example: Engineering, Social Work
SCIENCE ON PURPOSE
Both are required for human development.
Applied science cannot stand on their own right
Applied science relies on basic science for
progress.
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
Purpose of science is to create scientific knowledge.
Generalized body of laws(observed patterns of a
phenomena) and theories(Systematic explanations of
phenomena)
Explain a phenomenon or behavior of interest
Acquired through scientific knowledge
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
There are multiple truths
Discovers laws and postulate theories that can
explain natural and social phenomena
Theories explanations of particular phenomena
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Theories and observations are two pillars of


science.
Scientific Research Operates at two levels:
Theoretical and Empirical Level
THEORETICAL LEVEL
Concerned with developing abstract concepts,
about a natural or social phenomena.
Develop relationships between those concepts
Focuses on building theory
EMPIRICAL LEVEL
Testing the theoretical concepts and relationships
Reflect the observation of reality
Fits the observed reality better
FORMS OF RESEARCH
Inductive Research
“Infer theoretical concepts and patterns from
observed data”
Deductive Research
Test concepts and patterns known from theory using
new empirical data
FORMS OF RESEARCH

Inductive is Theory Building, Deductive is Theory


Testing which improves, refines and extends it.
They are not two halves of research.
They both are critical.
AN EXAMPLE

“All men are mortal, Ram is a man therefore he is


mortal.”
FORMS OF RESEARCH
Theory

Induction

Deduction
Generalize from Test
observations Hypothesis

Observation
The Cycle of Research
THE BITTER TRUTH

Unlike natural sciences, social


science theories are rarely perfect.
PHILOSOPHY
 Scientific research are based on philosophical ideas
 What is Philosophy?

 Small ‘p’ individual's agency, individual consciousness, awareness, ideas,

thoughts, habitus. The philosophy of individual actor/s guide their actions

 Capital ‘P’ established ideas or well known thought systems or set of

beliefs or world views emerged either through reasoning process or


empirically proven facts
PHILOSOPHY
Diverse meaning and difficult to define
Greek “Philos” means Lover; “Sophia” means Wisdom.
Love for knowledge
Explains social realities and truth
Meaning of Life and nature of being.
A search for meanings and truths.
SCOPES OF PHILOSOPHY

Metaphysics or Ontology
Epistemology
Axiology
METAPHYSICS OR ONTOLOGY
Nature of being, or form of reality; existence of
truth.
Foundation of worldview; “What is?” or “isness”
Single Vs Multiple realities.
Subjective realities- changeable realities
EPISTEMOLOGY
is study of our method of acquiring knowledge or

realities.
Answers how do we know

Way of knowing the reality


AXIOLOGY

The study of value, how man should act

What do I do?
End of Unit One
Quiz Time
Research Methods in Social Work
Multiple Choice Questions
Unit 1 Understanding The concept of Social Science, Research & Philosophy
Sno Questions A B C D
1 Scientific knowledge contributes to the body of Science Social science Theory building Empirical Theory
2 Research Follows___________Method Scientific Universal Phenomenal Actual
3 Science is ___________ of knowledge Procedural body Natural body Systematic and organized Scientific body
body
4 Two Types of science are Physical and Biological and Natural Natural and Social Social and biological
Chemical
5 Physical Science is Geology Astronomy Biology Botany
6 ______________is social science Psychology Engineering Physics Biology
7 ______________ are the purpose of science Basic and aggregate Applied and Extracted Basic and Applied Purposive and unpurposive
8 Purpose of Science is to create_________ New matters Scientific knowledge experiments Research
9 __________ are two pillars of science Theory and Art Theory and knowledge Theory and observation Theory and practice
10 Research operates at two levels Axiological and Empirical and Theoretical Empirical and Practical Higher and Lower
Ontological
11 Forms of Research_____________ Critical and Surficial Inductive and Deductive Holistic and Integrated Collective and Individual
12 Inductive is_______________ Theory Testing Theory Generating Theory Proving Theory Building
13 Deductive is_______________ Theory Testing Theory Generating Theory Proving Theory Building
14 Unlike Natural Science, social science is______________ More Phenomenal Never Actual Not Perfect Always gradual

15 _______________ are based on philosophical ideas Art and Skills Phenomenal studies Opinions Scientific Research
16 Philos means lover, Sophia means Divine Intellectual Wisdom Smart
17 _____________ is a scope of Philosophy Axiology Phenomenology Ethnography Reacher Expert
18 Ontology is Form of Reality Method of acquiring The study of Value Understanding Reality
knowledge
19 Epistemology is Form of Reality Method of acquiring The study of Value Understanding Reality
knowledge
20 Axiology is Form of Reality Method of acquiring The study of Value Understanding Reality
knowledge

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