Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 66

Sociology is a science of the social world, and research is absolutely central to such a science. All sociologists study others’ research, and most do research of their own. Sociologists may theorize, speculate, and even rely on their imaginations for answers to questions about society. However, they almost always do so on the basis of data or information derived from research. Put another way, sociologists practice empiricism, which means that they gather information and evidence using their senses, especially their eyes and ears. Because we all do that in order to experience the world, what makes sociology different? In addition to using their senses, sociologists adopt the scientific method, or a similarly systematic approach, in search of a thorough understanding of the social world. They have a variety of methods at their disposal in researching and analyzing society, but they also experience a few significant constraints on their ability to conduct such research.