Theory and Progress in Social Science

Download or read book Theory and Progress in Social Science written by James B. Rule and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-04-28 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work, sequel to the author's Theories of Civil Violence, attacks questions that have long troubled social science and social scientists - questions of the cumulative nature of social inquiry. Does the knowledge generated by the study of social, political, and economic life grow more comprehensive over time? These questions go to the heart of social scientists' soul-searching as to whether they are indeed engaged in 'science'. The author pursues these questions through in-depth examination of various theoretical programs currently influential in social science, including feminist social science, rational choice theory, network analysis and others.