POSITIVISM AND INTERPRETATION IN SOCIOLOGY - LESSONS FOR SOCIOLOGISTS FROM THE HISTORY OF STRESS RESEARCH

被引:16
作者
ABBOTT, A
机构
[1] Department of Sociology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 08903, New Jersey
关键词
fractals; interpretation; methodology; positivism; rhetoric; stress;
D O I
10.1007/BF01115095
中图分类号
C91 [社会学];
学科分类号
030301 ; 1204 ;
摘要
This paper examines the relation between positivistic and interpretive sociology, using the stress research literature as a case study. Analyzing the cultural history of the stress concept, it uncovers four central themes: anxiety, performance, adjustment, and mentalism. Examining the self-criticisms made by scientific students of stress, it focuses on the problems of temporal order, confounding, and interaction. Comparison of the cultural and scientific literatures shows that while some of the positivists' complaints derive from general methodological choices, others come from inescapable aspects of the culture's general idea of stress. Considering the past development of stress research, the paper argues that positivism and interpretation have not been Cartesian opposites but interpenetrating fractals. It then speculates about what this relation implies for future positivistic studies, both in the stress literature and more generally. © 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation.
引用
收藏
页码:435 / 458
页数:24
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