Theory Construction and Model Building Skills Summary
Modeling nature
Task 1
Theory construction and Model-building skills (chapter 1-3)
Scientific research is a process that is designed to extend our understandings and to determine if they are correct or useful. Science strives to operate according to a more rigorous set of rules.
Realism: reality exists independent of any human presence, there is an external world comprised of objects that follow a myriad of natural facts and laws. --> mirror world. It is possible to make claims regarding ultimate truths.
Social constructionist: reality is a construction of the human mind, which is tied to a particular time and social context, reality changes as the social context changes. There is no reality and there are no facts until these are conceptualized and shared by some number of people
Critical realism/ Blumer: reality is seen through human conceptions of it, but the empirical world also talks back to our conceptions in the sense of challenging, resisting, and failing to bend to them. This inflexible character of the world justifies empirical science.
Hypothetical realism: even if it cannot be proven that reality exists, it is useful to assume that is does. It is a heuristic device: helps to organize our thoughts and accomplish goals and objectives.
The way in which reality is interpreted can vary within the individual over time, across individuals, and can be heavily influenced by context.
Reality appears: --> refers to the external and internal environment complex dynamic; things never stay the same unique; because of the dynamic nature the universe is never the same obscure; the vast majority of nature remains hidden from direct view
Concepts are the fundamental building blocks of everyday life as well as from scientific thinking.
Concept
refers to something that is conceived of in the mind, a generic idea or thought, usually developed from experiencing one or more particular instances. basic level of understanding is identification
Task 1
Theory construction and Model-building skills (chapter 1-3)
Scientific research is a process that is designed to extend our understandings and to determine if they are correct or useful. Science strives to operate according to a more rigorous set of rules.
Realism: reality exists independent of any human presence, there is an external world comprised of objects that follow a myriad of natural facts and laws. --> mirror world. It is possible to make claims regarding ultimate truths.
Social constructionist: reality is a construction of the human mind, which is tied to a particular time and social context, reality changes as the social context changes. There is no reality and there are no facts until these are conceptualized and shared by some number of people
Critical realism/ Blumer: reality is seen through human conceptions of it, but the empirical world also talks back to our conceptions in the sense of challenging, resisting, and failing to bend to them. This inflexible character of the world justifies empirical science.
Hypothetical realism: even if it cannot be proven that reality exists, it is useful to assume that is does. It is a heuristic device: helps to organize our thoughts and accomplish goals and objectives.
The way in which reality is interpreted can vary within the individual over time, across individuals, and can be heavily influenced by context.
Reality appears: --> refers to the external and internal environment complex dynamic; things never stay the same unique; because of the dynamic nature the universe is never the same obscure; the vast majority of nature remains hidden from direct view
Concepts are the fundamental building blocks of everyday life as well as from scientific thinking.
Concept
refers to something that is conceived of in the mind, a generic idea or thought, usually developed from experiencing one or more particular instances. basic level of understanding is identification