Developing Theories in the Social Sciences: Methods and Applications - Couverture souple

Sell, Jane; Webster Jr., Murray

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 1009483331 ISBN 13 : 9781009483339

Editeur : Cambridge University Press, 2026

Synopsis

Progress in the social sciences entails developing and improving theoretical understanding of social phenomena and improving methods for collecting and analyzing data. Theories organize what we know or expect to learn about phenomena and methods provide the evidential basis for the theories. While we have witnessed great strides in the development of statistical methods, there is less information for developing theories. In Developing Theories in the Social Sciences, Jane Sell and Murray Webster Jr. describe an approach for logical, consistent, and useful explanatory theories for social scientists. They emphasize properly defining concepts to embed in theoretical propositions, while providing guidelines for avoiding missteps that can occur, including imprecise definitions, incomplete assumptions, and missing scope conditions. Offering examples from different disciplines, the authors propose a structured method vital for building and refining theories about social phenomena.

A propos du livre

À propos des auteurs

Jane Sell is Professor Emerita of Sociology at Texas A & M University. She has published widely on theory and theory construction, public goods, group processes and methodology. In 2017 she received the Cooley-Mead Award from the Social Psychology Section of the American Sociological Association for life-time achievement.

Murray Webster Jr. is a Professor of Sociology Emeritus at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in sociological theory at several universities. He has published on theory building in American Sociological Review, Social Science Research, and The American Journal of Sociology. He served twice as Program Director for Sociology at the National Science Foundation, and has chaired the Theory, Social Psychology, and Mathematical Sociology sections of the American Sociological Association.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Cambridge University Press
• Date d'édition: 2026
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1009483331
• ISBN 13: 9781009483339
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 144
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Avery; https://www.avery.fr/; ; chemin des peupliers 27; Dardilly; France