Originally published in 1974, this book provided a most useful introductory survey of all the major philosophical issues relating to the social sciences at the time. While it covers a remarkable amount of ground in a short space, it is never superficial, for its lucid and careful analysis does full justice to the complexities and controversies of the subject. Nor is it merely a survey, for, while putting all points of view with scrupulous fairness, the author never fails to make clear his own, and to support it with reasoned argument. The book’s basic framework is a comparison of physical and social science, and in this context the author examines the problems of the mental aspect of social life, general laws, the individual and the social, explanation, and the relation of fact to value. He is far from advocating (as is often done) the wholesale acceptance or rejection of the ‘physical science model’ in the social sciences – rather, he carefully considers the various elements of the model in relation to the nature of social life. A noteworthy feature of this book is the philosophical analysis of statistical correlations and tests of significance, which bulk so large in the practice of social scientists, yet are all too seldom discussed in books of this kind. Also of special interest is the penetrating and original analysis of functionalist explanation in social science. Students of the social sciences and of philosophy will find this an admirable introduction to an important aspect of their respective disciplines.

A set of related papers dealing with the meaning of causality in simulataneous dynamic equation systems. Investigation of the systems which only approximately satisfy the conditions enabling the definition of causality, leads to a set of limiting theorems concerning the dynamic behavior of such systems over time, and estimation procedures for the parameters of such systems. Implications of these theorems for some well-known propositions in economics and other social sciences are considered.

Robert K. Merton is unarguably one of the most influential sociologists of his time. A figure whose wide-ranging theoretical and methodological contributions have become fundamental to the field, Merton is best known for introducing such concepts and procedures as unanticipated consequences, self-fulfilling prophecies, focused group interviews, middle-range theory, opportunity structure, and analytic paradigms. This definitive compilation encompasses the breadth and brilliance of his works, from the earliest to the most recent. Merton's foundational writings on social structure and process, on the sociology of science and knowledge, and on the discipline and trajectory of sociology itself are all powerfully represented, as are his autobiographical insights in a fascinating coda. Anchored by Piotr Sztompka's contextualizing introduction, Merton's vast oeuvre emerges as a dynamic and profoundly coherent system of thought, a constant source of vitality and renewal for present and future sociology.

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.

Originally published in 1974, this book provided a most useful introductory survey of all the major philosophical issues relating to the social sciences at the time. While it covers a remarkable amount of ground in a short space, it is never superficial, for its lucid and careful analysis does full justice to the complexities and controversies of the subject. Nor is it merely a survey, for, while putting all points of view with scrupulous fairness, the author never fails to make clear his own, and to support it with reasoned argument. The book’s basic framework is a comparison of physical and social science, and in this context the author examines the problems of the mental aspect of social life, general laws, the individual and the social, explanation, and the relation of fact to value. He is far from advocating (as is often done) the wholesale acceptance or rejection of the ‘physical science model’ in the social sciences – rather, he carefully considers the various elements of the model in relation to the nature of social life. A noteworthy feature of this book is the philosophical analysis of statistical correlations and tests of significance, which bulk so large in the practice of social scientists, yet are all too seldom discussed in books of this kind. Also of special interest is the penetrating and original analysis of functionalist explanation in social science. Students of the social sciences and of philosophy will find this an admirable introduction to an important aspect of their respective disciplines.

Plagued by confusion, the concept of social structure still presents difficulties for sociologists who have not agreed on a common definition of the term. This text discusses the concept in relation to institutional, relational and embodied structure.