FRHD 3070 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Basic Belief, Antipositivism, Nomothetic

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Family Relations and Human Development
• Course: FRHD 3070
• Professor: John Dwyer

Document Summary

Aggregate: collection of many individuals, cases, or other units. Social theory: a system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organizes knowledge about the social world. Macrosocial theory: social theories and explanations about abstract, large-scale, and broad- scope aspects of social reality, such as social change in major institutions in a whole nation across several decades. Microsocial theory: social theories and explanations about the concrete small-scale, and narrow level of reality, such as face to face interaction in small groups during a two month period. Mesosocial theory: social theories and explanations about the middle level of social reality between a broad and narrow scope, such as development and operation of social organizations, communities, or social movements over a five year period. Empirical generalizations: a quasitheoretical statement that summarizes findings or regularities in empirical evidence. It uses few, if any, abstract concepts and only makes a statement about a recurring pattern that researchers observe.