Summary
Contemporary theories summary + articles
- Course
- Institution
Summary 4 lectures and articles
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
piendorgelo
Content preview
Contemporary theoriesHoorcollege 1
Statement; everyone has theories; we observe something (something is happening) and we try to
make sense out of it. We deal with coronavirus, we know is it is spread and has a lot of consequences
but why did it happen, why does it get spread? We try to make common sense of it.
Any good social scientist knows that the facts do not speak for themselves. Theoretical structures are
critical. Important to theorise when we observe anything happening in the real world it is important
to theorise and think about the reasons why thinks are happening.
A concept; something conceived in the mind, an abstract or generic idea generalized from particular
instances.
Theory belongs to the family of words that includes guess, speculation, supposition, conjecture,
proposition, hypothesis, conception, explanation, model. […] If everything from a "guess" to a
general falsifiable explanation has a tinge of theory to it, then it becomes more difficult to separate
what is theory from what isn't.
From common sense to science
- Common sense is more like general views and concepts and something are more subjective,
everybody has their ideas and opinions.
- Science; explaining things that are happening in the real world, trying to do this trough
theories and scientific knowledge of models to explain the thinks.
Criteria to make something more scientific; explanations/theory should be something explicit (clear
what the relationship is between what we observe), should be measurable (you can test it and
observe), should be generalizable (not apply to one context, but also to other context) and falsifiable
(correct opgezet).
A theory = a system of statements targeted at describing, explaining, and predicting a real-world
phenomenon.
- It consists of constructs (i.e., concepts) and propositions (i.e., relationships between
constructs) that collectively presents a logical, systematic, and coherent explanation of the
real-world phenomenon within certain boundaries.
Example: Transaction Cost Theory; if transaction costs are high in a market, then firms are be more
likely to produce products internally > theorise; concept and construct is important, that are
transaction costs depended on asset specificity, uncertainty or frequency.
Theory is about abstraction from the observable;
- Empirical plane; something we observe, what is happening in the real world. We see a cause
that has an effect on something/outcome that we call a consequence. So independent
variable (cause of outcome), dependent variable (outcome/consequence), the relation
between these things is the hypothesis. We can observe the cause and consequence, but not
the effect and hypothesis.
A variable is observable directly (manifest), empirically measurable and a representation of an
abstract construct (health).
Example; A person’s intelligence is often measured as his or her IQ (intelligence quotient) score, which
is an index generated from an analytical pattern matching test administered to people. In this case
,the IQ score is a variable intended to measure the per se unobservable intelligence construct. IQ is the
variable that helps us measure the intelligence of a person. The construct/concept that the variable
captures is academic performance of the students.
In the empirical plane we have the IQ score as the independent variable, dependent variable is the
GPA.
A hypothesis states (expected) relationships between variables, is empirically testable, is stated in a
falsifiable form (something that can be falsified, when you test it you find support for hypothesis).
Example, IQ scores and grade point average are respectively operational measures of intelligence and
academic achievement. A hypothesis specifies the expected relationship between IQ score and grade
point average. Hypothesis tells us if it will be positive or negative, so specify relationship.
In the theoretical plane there are the constructs that are relevant for the (in)dependent variable.
A construct is an abstract conceptual entity, is inferred from observable actions or states of
phenomena, and needs an operational definition to become measurable. Need a variable to make it
measurable and to test the relationship.
Example; Student Intelligence is a construct, which explains the degree to which a person is able to
absorb knowledge. Since student intelligence usefulness is not empirically measurable directly, it
cannot be a manifest variable.
A proposition is a relationship between constructs, is stated in a declarative form, must be falsifiable,
explicitly delineates constructs and typically introduces causality.
Example; An increase in student intelligence causes an increase in their academic achievement
In simple terms…
- What is the factors we are
interested in, so variables and
constructs we are interested in.
- What is the relationship
between them.
- How are they related,
hypothesis.
- Why are they related
- Who, When, Where
, Theories are nets cast to catch what we call ‘the world’ (what we observe in the world); to
rationalize, to explain phenomenon and to master it.
Example; cats who like to drink
We may observe; the more they drink the more they have a
walking impairment (measure in scale 1-7) = emperical
plane. Measure amount of hard liquor.
Construct for liquor intake is alcholol consumption
(theoretical plane), could be measured by intake of hard
liquor. And other construct is drunkenness; how is this
effected bythe alcohol consumption.
Why is this happening? Need to make use of theory and
literature to understand why it happens or how it happens;
relationship between ethanol absorption and influences the
brain cells and that makes you drunk > helps us theorise and finding explanation for why things are
happening.
There is more than one means of representation for theory; box-and-arrow diagrams, mathematical
formulae, symbolic logic, tables, prototypes, or simply words.
- Different representation might also help to mature the theory
- Evidence and resoning will help any form of theory to become meaningfull
- Not each means might be qually suited for every type of theory
When thinking about phenomenon happening in the real world you need theories/scientific
approaches to find theories to explain and find a general explanation also for other concepts.
What could we call a theory and what not >
pay attention to this in Shapira literature
Different types of theories;
- Analysys; says what is
-
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller piendorgelo. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
48298 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 15 years now