Is sociology a science?

Have a little read: ... Is sociology a science? To answer the question of whether or not sociology is a science is entirely dependent upon the individual's definition of science. If the conventional definition of science is being referred to, that is, that science is knowledge ascertained by observation and experiment, critically tested, systematised and brought under general principles, then arguably to a certain extent sociology is scientific. However if science is socially instead of objectively defined, then although some sociology may have similar characteristics to natural science there is a significant difference in the method model used in each case. Medawar claimed science should be defined in terms of its method, stating that if a particular logic and procedure was followed then the subject could be considered a science regardless the subject matter. This would thus allow certain branches of sociology to be defined as a science, mainly those that are of a positivist approach and utilise quantitative research. Popper redefined and developed this view of science. He viewed science as being logical, useful and refutable. He believed scientific knowledge is built up using a continuing process of conjecture and disproval and there is no final truth but the most likely provisional explanation. It was due to his belief of this that he criticised Marxism for being unscientific, as it was presented in such a way that it could not be falsified. If we accept these definitions of science as logical and uniform then some sociology can be said to aspire to be scientific. The positivism pioneered by Comte and Durkheim, tried to follow scientific method as it was seen as a superior way of producing and testing knowledge. Durkheim in particular adhered to the comparative method as a substitute for experimentation, the favoured scientific method, as it provided a form of control and reliability. Although positivists generally assume the scientific approach is the superior method they nevertheless encounter substantial difficulty in applying it to sociology. For example, actual involvement with the subject is unscientific as it effects their behaviour, yet is very difficult to avoid in sociology especially as the subjects are conscious beings. This is highlighted by the Hawthorne studies and the work by Rosenthal and Jacobson on the self fulfilling prophecy. It is argued though that this problem is unavoidable and is encountered by natural scientists too but is countered by the argument that in the case of sociology the researcher is actually part of the