File spoon-archives/lyotard.archive/lyotard_1998/lyotard.9812, message 36


Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 22:44:28 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: Eagleton/social sciences





On Sun, 6 Dec 1998, hugh bone wrote:

> 
> Science seems to limit itself to observing and relating entities in the
> so-called "real" world.
>
> ...[snip]
> 
> Ordinarily, social sciences must have empirical evidence; usually
> quantifiable via questionnaires and legitimated by the assent of
> [s]cientists of established competence.

hmmm.  I think that while the social sciences may (at some points) limit
itself to "observing and relating entities in the so-called 'real' world"
I don't think that it is anywhere close to "empirical" in the sense of
being quantifiable.  Sure, there is still a big push for objective and
generalizable results, and the survey style design is far from dead.  But
at least in sociology there are still significant
schools/journals/academic departments dedicated to symbolic
interactionism, participant observation, and ethnomethodology.  Of course,
even psychoanalytic methods are still existant in significant (though not
a majority of) areas of psychology.  This depends quite heavily on
interpretive analysis.

I suppose it really boils down to what *you* mean by "empirical evidence,"
though things such as historical analysis, emotions, presentations of
self, human meaning, and the like will generally fall outside of any usual
definitions.  Of course, they can arguably be seen as parts of the "real"
world,... or way too may sociology profesors would be getting tenure for
what would otherwise be philosophical work (in the common sense that is,
after all, I suppose all work is philosophical).

I will easily grant that there is still a process of legitemation that
must occur, even if the knowledge is not "empiric" in the usual sense,...
and the question as to whether or not the "social sciences" are actual
sciences is still highly disputed even within the disciplines.

I hope this will clarify a little bit of what goes on inside the "social
science" disciplines themselves.

PMK
 
Black and White Photo Caption:  Local children warmed their hands while
the desert sky above Carson City, Nevada, USA, was black today with the
smoke of hundreds of burning roulette wheels declared rigged by the Nevada
State Gaming Commission.  Meteorologists say the smoke will not affect
global weather patterns.
                             -- Douglas Coupland



   

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