Lim a scial scientist, Michael. That means Lean’ explain ‘One sort of sociologist believes that social phenomena like race, class, deviance, and injustice are as real as natu- ral phenomena and should be studied just as objectively ‘The other sort believes that social phenomena exist only through human interaction, so they can’t be studied objec- tively atall. One uses numbers (quantitative methods), and the other uses words (qualitative methods). They have different theories. They publish in different journals. Sometimes departments are split into two camps, each accusing the other of not doing “real sociology.” However, a sociologist who sits down t0 compare research methods with a chemist or even biologist will ind substantial differences. Other scientists work with objects (carbon isotopes, microorganisms) that have no volition, ‘no motivation, no emotion. OK, maybe the higher mam” als do, but even they have no hidden agenda, they don’t care about presenting themselves inthe best possible light, and simply being obscrved doesn’t make them reevaluate their lives. When the object of study is intelligent and aware, you need different techniques and different propo- sitions. For this reason, sociology is a social si detricn or antbing like than, but if you cor cant to new ‘On the other end of the conference table, the sociolo- 7a tet ppl get man gist talking tothe humanities scholar wil alo find substan- the hen Ye Calcion 6861.8 Hannan am catonrbusccon, Ua differences. Humanities scholars look at texts (books, [AL Righl Reseed. Reprite by persion (>) ‘CHAPTER 2 Wir 1s octoLOGy? representative sample, They worry about validity and reliability. And they claim that their research has revealed something about what it was really ike to ive in a past society (or in a contemporary society) Some of the questions that sociology poses for itself also distinguish it from the other social sciences. For example, economists follow the processes of individuals who act :ationally in markets, such a the labor market. Sociologist are interested in suc rational economic calculation butalso study behavior that is not rational and that i collective — that is, sociologists typically understand that behavior cannot be reduced to the simple addition of all the rational individuals ating in concert, Psychologists may focus on those group processes—there are branches of psychology and sociology that are both called “social psychology” —but our everyday understandings of psychology are that the prob- Jems we observe in our lives can be remedied by adequate therapeutic intervention. Soci- ologists think these “private troubles” actually more often require social solutions. For example, your individual income may be enhanced by working harder, changing your job, or winning the lottery, but the socal problem of poverty will never be solved like that—even if every person worked harder, switched jobs, or won the lottery. Getting beyond “Common Sense” However, sociology is not just “common sense”—the other hetorcal reteat from cogagement with complex social irc. Infact, very often whet we observe be tre turns out, after sociological examination, not to be true. Commonsense explanations trade insereotypes—"*women ate more nurturing”; “men are more aggresive” that are never true for everyone. What's more, common sense assumes that such patterns