Handbook of Sociological Science: Contributions to Rigorous Sociology (Research Handbooks in Sociology series)

"22 out of the 26 Chapters will be available Open Access on Elgaronline when the book is published. The Handbook of Sociological Science offers a refreshing, integrated perspective on research programs and ongoing developments in sociological science. It highlights key shared theoretical and methodological features, thereby contributing to progress and cumulative growth of sociological knowledge. Reflecting 'unity in diversity', chapters explore a wide variety of research fields, ranging from cultural capital, migration, social networks, gender inequality, historical sociology and ethnography to the intersection of sociology and the life sciences. Examining basic methodological standards for theory construction and empirical research, the Handbook exemplifies commonalities between research programmes within these fields. The contributors also explore rigorous sociology related to theory construction, empirical research, and methods, including statistical modelling and the integration of theoretical and empirical research. Forward-thinking and original, the Handbook concludes by illustrating the common core of rigorous sociology, how it can contribute to understanding societal problems and to policy making, and how research into sociological science can continue to thrive in the future. Accessible and engaging, this Handbook will be invaluable for scholars and researchers of sociology and sociological theory, research methods in sociology and social policy, and comparative social policy. Exploring new developments and applications, it will also act as a useful reference guide for policy makers. The Handbook will likewise be an important resource for teaching advanced courses and training graduate students"-- Provided by publisher Front Matter Copyright Contents Contributors Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Rigorous sociology Part I Research programs 2. Order from chaos: sociology as a population science 3. Analytical sociology 4. Computational approaches in rigorous sociology: agent-based computational modeling and computational social science 5. Stochastic network modeling as generative social science 6. Rational choice sociology: heuristic potential, applications, and limitations Part II New and ongoing developments in selected fields 7. Cultural capital and educational inequality: an assessment of the state of the art 8. Integration in migration societies 9. Social networks: effects and formation 10. Gender inequality, households, and work 11. Validation strategies in historical sociology (and beyond) 12. Rigorous ethnography 13. Evolution, biology, and society 14. Sociogenomics: theoretical and empirical challenges of integrating molecular genetics into sociological thinking Part III Methods 15. Causal inference with observational data 16. Longitudinal designs and models for causal inference 17. Experimental sociology Part IV Rigorous sociology in action: showcases 18. Explaining educational differentials: towards a formal rational action theory 19. ‘Explaining educational differentials’ revisited: an evaluation of rigorous theoretical foundations and empirical findings 20. Structural holes and good ideas 21. Network mechanisms in innovation: borrowing and sparking ideas around structural holes 22. Experimental study of inequality and unpredictability in an artificial cultural market 23. Self-correcting dynamics in social influence processes Part V Further perspectives 24. The climate crisis: what sociology can contribute 25. Roots of sociology as a science: some history of ideas 26. How to increase reproducibility and credibility of sociological research Index