Open AccessModes of explanation
Author(s) -
Rui Pena Pires
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
sociologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.248
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2182-7907
pISSN - 0873-6529
DOI - 10.7458/spp2015786687
Subject(s) - mode (computer interface) , epistemology , causal analysis , degree (music) , sociology , computer science , econometrics , mathematics , philosophy , physics , acoustics , operating system
There is no single or complete mode of explanation. The sociological analysis is improved with the pragmatic combination of different modes of explanation, which must be selected and combined according to the properties of the processes in analysis, the objetives of the explanation and the degree of knowledge about these processes. Functional and causal analysis are both useful and legitimate modes of explanation, as well is their possible combination, provided we take into account their limitations and conditions of applicability.