Making Social Science Matter presents an exciting new approach to the social and behavioral sciences including theoretical argument, methodological guidelines, and examples of practical application. Why has social science failed in attempts to emulate natural science and produce normal theory? Bent Flyvbjerg argues that the strength of social sciences lies in its rich, reflexive analysis of values and power, essential to the social and economic development of any society. Richly informed, powerfully argued, and clearly written, this book opens up a new future for the social sciences. Its empowering message will make it required reading for students and academics across the social and behavioral sciences.
Making Social Science Matter
and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £5.50
Trade in Making Social Science Matter for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £5.50, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Card, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more
|
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.
Product Description
Review
'This is social science that matters.' Pierre Bourdieu
'This is a book I have been waiting for for a long time. It opens up entirely new perspectives for social science by showing us that abandoning the aspiration to be like natural science is the beginning of wisdom about what we can and ought to be doing instead. It is a landmark book that deserves the widest possible reading and discussion.' Robert Bellah, Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
'This brilliant contextualization of social inquiry, hinging on both Aristotle and Foucault, gives new meaning to the concept of praxis. It will be of interest to everyone concerned with making democracy work.' Ed Soja, School of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles
'… suggestive and well written'. Science
'As a practical guide to newcomers to the social sciences, or as a corrective to those who think that more and better 'objective' research will automatically turn social science into a clone of natural science, Bent Flyvbjerg's book is useful.' Harry Collins, The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Flyvbjerg's book re-thinks social science in a fasinating way; a way that demands a debate on how social science endeavours are supported, understood and used by society.' Environmental Politics
'Flyvbjerg's work on phronesis is valuable …'. International Planning Studies
'… this timely and challenging book'. European Journal of Communication
'Flyvbjerg's book is important and I would recommend it to all researchers of urban affairs. Making Social Science Matter is an important milestone in the discussion of how social science research might be undertaken and 'matter'. Flyvbjerg's discussion opens out for debate many of the key issues regarding research with social implications. This book is likely to remain a key reference for some time.' Urban Studies
'This is a book I have been waiting for for a long time. It opens up entirely new perspectives for social science by showing us that abandoning the aspiration to be like natural science is the beginning of wisdom about what we can and ought to be doing instead. It is a landmark book that deserves the widest possible reading and discussion.' Robert Bellah, Professor of Sociology, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
'This brilliant contextualization of social inquiry, hinging on both Aristotle and Foucault, gives new meaning to the concept of praxis. It will be of interest to everyone concerned with making democracy work.' Ed Soja, School of Public Policy, University of California, Los Angeles
'… suggestive and well written'. Science
'As a practical guide to newcomers to the social sciences, or as a corrective to those who think that more and better 'objective' research will automatically turn social science into a clone of natural science, Bent Flyvbjerg's book is useful.' Harry Collins, The Times Higher Education Supplement
'Flyvbjerg's book re-thinks social science in a fasinating way; a way that demands a debate on how social science endeavours are supported, understood and used by society.' Environmental Politics
'Flyvbjerg's work on phronesis is valuable …'. International Planning Studies
'… this timely and challenging book'. European Journal of Communication
'Flyvbjerg's book is important and I would recommend it to all researchers of urban affairs. Making Social Science Matter is an important milestone in the discussion of how social science research might be undertaken and 'matter'. Flyvbjerg's discussion opens out for debate many of the key issues regarding research with social implications. This book is likely to remain a key reference for some time.' Urban Studies
Book Description
Making Social Science Matter presents an exciting new approach to social and behavioral science, including theoretical argument, methodological guidelines, and practical examples. Bent Flyvbjerg shows why social science fails to emulate natural science. He then identifies the strength of social science in its rich, reflexive analysis of values and power.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
When the May 1996 issue of the journal Social Text appeared, an issue devoted to the understanding of "Science Wars," the editors became targets in these "wars" in ways they had not imagined. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
When the May 1996 issue of the journal Social Text appeared, an issue devoted to the understanding of "Science Wars," the editors became targets in these "wars" in ways they had not imagined. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is one of the most significant books of recent years. It convincingly illustrates how 'reason' has been misconstrued and misapplied in human settings. Right across the social sciences - in economics and psychotherapy in particular - the convention has been to pretend that relationships between human beings can be codified and treated according to simplistic Newtonian 'cause and effect' principles. Flyvbjerg exposes the lack of logic for this approach, and illustrates the importance of intuition and wisdom.
This is an empowering book for those who are frustrated by philistine, mechanistic approaches in social sciences, but who have felt that 'reason' wasn't on their side.
My only complaint about the book is that it is too modestly expressed. This thinking overturns myths that have damaged human societies for 200 years.
This is an empowering book for those who are frustrated by philistine, mechanistic approaches in social sciences, but who have felt that 'reason' wasn't on their side.
My only complaint about the book is that it is too modestly expressed. This thinking overturns myths that have damaged human societies for 200 years.
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a triumph of exemplary clarity. It is lucid enough to be used in any undergraduate courses, while the issues it raises are enormously important to deserve in-depth exploration in graduate seminars. By focusing on the Aristotelian intellectual virtues of episteme, techne, and phronesis, Flyvbjerg escapes the common pitfall of books on the "science question" in the social sciences written by philosophers who know nothing about the actual practices of the social sciences and who often end up speculating what should an adequate social ontology be to make social science possible. I share Flyvbjerg's ideal to make social science matter again and consider my own anthropological study of the Science Wars as phronesis-like. And I agree with him entirely that the social sciences would always be on the losing side in the Science Wars unless we actually change our self-conception and practices, "dialogue" between the warring factions is not enough. But here comes some of my objections, all of which are made from the perspectives of the authors Flyvbjerg invokes. (1) Given his commitment to the Dreyfus model of learning which emphasises examples and experience over rules and principles, I doubt the value of the chapter on methodological guidelines. It is probably the weakest in the book because for those who are already convinced, it is repetitive; and for those who are not, it is too abstract. If phronetic social science is problem-driven rather than methodology-driven, as Flyvbjerg holds, "saving the phenomenon" will require all the practical wisdom and methodological eclecticism of the researcher, no context-independent rules-of-thumbs, or methodological puritanism, not even a respect for context and details, will do.... Read more ›
0 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Moglet
Format:Paperback
I only go this book as it is set reading for my Masters degree. Good luck to anyone who reads this - it is truly awful and one of the most difficult books I have ever had the mis-fortune to read!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Academic Philosophy
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Academic Sociology
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Methodology
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Methodology & Research > Methodology
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Methodology & Research > Statistics & Research
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Sociology
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
