A TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE FOR SOCIOLOGY

The traditional positivist model is an inadequate foundation for socio logy as a science. The phenomena of society differ from the phenomena assumed by positivism and existing in the world of nature in ways that prevent the successful use of that traditional approach. Agency, the ability to choose among alternatives where the choice makes an importa nt difference, exists in social phenomena but has no counterpart in na ture and cannot be dealt with adequately by positivism. A technologica l science perspective is suggested as an alternative for a science of sociology that can deal with the reality and importance of agency. Eig ht differences between the traditional perspective and the alternative are sketched. The alternative requires changes in the kind of general ized knowledge produced and the way it is produced, accumulated, and r efined. The changes, though seemingly small, would produce a major rec onstruction of much of sociology; such changes could result in importa nt progress by the field of sociology.