Tag: epistemology

Knowledge Is Power - Chernobyl after 40 Years

Why Do We Believe What We Believe? Sociology, Knowledge, and the Crisis of Truth

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Forty years after Chernobyl, the reactor sits under a vast steel sarcophagus constructed to contain what could not be unseen. The facts eventually surfaced – but at what cost, and why did it take so long? Drawing on Mannheim, Fricker, Arendt, and Oreskes, this article asks what the sociology of knowledge reveals about the structural conditions under which truth is managed, suppressed, and contested – from Soviet nuclear cover-ups to contemporary populism.

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Illustration divided into four panels around a central compass and globe, showing four ways of seeing the social world: quantitative measurement, shared meaning and ideas, hidden structures beneath the surface, and practical tools for building solutions.

Four Ways of Knowing in Sociology: Positivism, Interpretivism, Critical Realism and Pragmatism

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Sociology is not just about what we study, but how we think we can know anything about the social world. This explainer introduces four major epistemological approaches – positivism, interpretivism, critical realism and pragmatism – and shows how each one answers basic questions about reality, knowledge and methods. Aimed at undergraduate sociology students, it offers a clear map of the terrain and helps you understand why different writers disagree about what counts as good evidence or explanation.

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Method and Methodology

Methodology vs Method: Understanding the Difference in Sociological Research

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Many sociology students confuse methodology with method—but understanding the difference is essential for credible, coherent research. This guide explains both terms, shows how they connect to ontology and epistemology, and offers practical tips and examples for designing robust sociological studies.

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