ABSTRACT

This article has two major goals: to present the different ways in which sociologists use the term ‘method’; and to suggest a tentative explanation why these been invested with their current meaning. The following uses are discussed: method as a mean to a goal; methods as methodology; the scientific method; method as a craft; and the heuristic method. It is also pointed out that sociologists today tend to view methods as distinct and independent of theory. The main reason for this, it is argued, is that modern sociologists have broken with the view of the classics that sociology as a science is defined by having its own distinct object of research (such as social facts [Durkheim] or social action [Weber]). The tendency to ignore this and instead study anything ‘social’, which is common in modern sociology, has important consequences for theory as well as methods. The two will tend to drift apart, with the result that theory tends to become out of touch, and methods be seen as the best way to access reality and understand what is going on. Methods, however, cannot replace theory.

摘要

本文有两个主要目标：介绍社会学家使用“方法”一词的不同方式；并提出一个试探性的解释，为什么以目前的意义投资这些项目。讨论了以下用途：方法是实现目标的手段；方法论 科学方法；工艺方法 和启发式方法。还指出，当今的社会学家倾向于将方法视为与众不同且独立于理论的方法。有人认为，其主要原因是现代社会学家打破了经典观点，即社会学作为一门科学是通过拥有自己独特的研究对象（例如社会事实[Durkheim]或社会行为）来定义的。[韦伯]。忽视这一点，而是研究任何在现代社会学中很普遍的“社会”的趋势，对理论和方法都有重要的影响。两者将趋于分开，结果是理论趋于脱节，方法被视为访问现实并了解正在发生的事情的最佳方式。但是，方法不能替代理论。