Abstract
The primary objective of this dissertation is an empirical evaluation of sociology's paradigmatic structure. The research was conceptually organized in terms of Thomas S. Kuhn's (1962) model of scientific development and recent studies in the sociology of science and sociology of sociology. Two concepts, part-paradigms and paradigm components, were identified. Part-paradigms are defined as partial disciplinary matrices based on significant, but less than community wide, commitment to a particular cluster of ontological and heuristic models, methodological exemplars, values and underdeveloped theories. Paradigm components are segments of a paradigm such as theory, method and image of the subject matter. These three paradigm components were utilized to specify empirically identifiable referents of evolving paradigms in sociology. Four descriptive theses (Gouldner, 1970; Friedrichs, 1970; Atkinson, 1972; and Ritzer, 1975), regarding sociology's paradigmatic structure were reviewed and evaluated. These theses were specified as variants of either the mono-part-paradigmatic description (Gouldner, 1970; Friedrichs, 1970; Atkinson, 1972) or multiple part-paradigmatic description (Ritzer, 1975). The four theses were conceptually and empirically evaluated in terms of data gathered from a random sample of American Sociological Review articles published from 1936 to 1978 (N = 707). Empirical specifications of three paradigm components--sociological theories, methods and images of the social--were reviewed for the entire time period and three specific periods of time; 1936-1949, 1950-1964 and 1965-1978. The empirical relationships between these paradigm components were also analyzed. Based on this analysis, a basic evolving part-paradigm and one alternative part-paradigm were empirically identified. The results suggest that sociology's major part-paradigm is characterized by...
Wells, Richard Herbert (1979). An empirical investigation of the paradigmatic structure of American sociology. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -135045.