The Logic Of Social Research

Arthur L. Stinchcombe has earned a reputation as a leading practitioner ofmethodology in sociology and related disciplines. Throughout his distinguishedcareer h... » 

Arthur L. Stinchcombe has earned a reputation as a leading practitioner ofmethodology in sociology and related disciplines. Throughout his distinguishedcareer he has championed the idea that to be an effective sociologist one mustuse many methods. This incisive work introduces students to the logic of thosemethods. The Logic of Social Research orients students to a set of logicalproblems that all methods must address to study social causation. Almost allsociological theory asserts that some social conditions produce other socialconditions but the theoretical links between causes and effects are not easilysupported by observation. Observations cannot directly show causation but theycan reject or support causal theories with different degrees of credibility. Asa result sociologists have created four main types of methods that Stinchcombeterms quantitative historical ethnographic and experimental to support theirtheories. Each method has value and each has its uses for different researchpurposes. Accessible and astute The Logic of Social Research offers an imageof what sociology is what its all about and what the craft of thesociologist consists of. «