1. Theories of The Middle Range according to Robert K
Theories of The Middle Range according to Robert K. Merton in “Theories of The Middle Range”, in Social Theory and Social Structure (3rd ed.), 1968
general theories / unified theory
P. 39, par. 2: “(…) theories that lie between the minor but necessary working hypotheses that evolve in abundance during day-to-day research and the all-inclusive systematic efforts to develop a unified theory (…)”
Par. 3: “Middle range theory is principally used in sociology to guide empirical inquiry. It is intermediate to general theories of social systems which are too remote from particular classes of social behavior, organization and change to account for what is observed and to those detailed orderly descriptions of particulars that are not generalized at all.”
P. 51, par. 32 f. “(…) Sociological theory, if it is to advance significantly, must proceed on these interconnected planes: (1) by developing special theories from which to derive hypotheses that can be empirically investigated and (2) by evolving, not suddenly revealing, a progressively more general conceptual scheme that is adequate to consolidate groups of special theories.”
suddelny revealing?
more general conceptual scheme
groups of special theories
[codification through paradigms: see p. 79, par. 78 f.]
interconnected planes
consolidate
intermediate
lie between
middle range theories
derive
investigated
guide
working hypotheses
detailed orderly descriptions
empirically
emp. inquiry
what is observed
Sociological Theory – Major Schools of Thought, PG, ISCTE-IUL,