Abstract
The authors claim that theoretical growth is often obscured by a narrow definition of “growth,” one that emphasizes only empirical support for a unit theory. They introduce the idea of theoretical research programs, distinguish five types of growth in in them, and illustrate the types with examples.
This is the final technical report. It is dated September 1983.
Wagner, David G; Berger, Joseph (2015). Do Sociological Theories Grow?. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /154817.