Middle Range Theory– Robert King Merton

Sociology is the science of society. Social scientists today live at a time when physical science has achieved comparatively great scope and precision of theory and experiment, a great aggregate of tools of investigation. Perhaps sociology is not yet ready for its Einstein because it has not yet found its Kepler-to say nothing of its Newton, Laplace, Max Well or Plank. Talcott Parsons is the most important structural–functional theorist. He gave the grand theory. A grand theory is a broad conceptual scheme with systems of interrelated propositions that provide a general frame of reference for the study of social processes and institutions. Merton criticized to this type of theory. He gave middle range theory. Middle range theory is principally used in sociology to guide empirical inquiry. Parsons advocated the creation of grand overarching theories; Merton favoured more limited, middle range theories.