Dissecting the Social: On the Principles of Analytical Sociology
Abstract
Over the past few decades serious reservations have been expressed about the explanatory power of sociological theory and research. In this important book, leading social theorist Peter Hedström outlines the foundations of an analytically oriented sociology that seeks to address this criticism. Building on his earlier influential contributions to contemporary debates, Professor Hedström argues for a systematic development of sociological theory so that it has the explanatory power and precision to inform sociological research and understanding. He discusses various mechanisms of action and interaction and shows how strong links can be forged between the micro and the macro, and between theory and empirical research. Combining approaches to theory and methodology and using extensive examples to illustrate how they might be applied, this clear, concise and original book will appeal to a broad range of social scientists.
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NPT is presented as a general, and generalizable, middle-range theory that seeks to explain the processes of implementation, embedding, and integration of material practices in formally defined contexts, relates these processes to causal social mechanisms, identifies components of those mechanisms, and defines the investments required to energize them.
“We therefore presented it as a general, and generalizable, middle-range theory, NPT [5,41]), that seeks to explain the processes of implementation, embedding, and integration of material practices in formally defined contexts, relates these processes to causal social mechanisms [42], identifies components of those mechanisms, and defines the investments that are required to energize them.”
From Development of a theory of implementation and integration: Normalization Process Theory (2009) · cites this paper as [42]
Personal narratives perform four main functions, providing reasons for action.
“Personal narratives perform four main functions, providing reasons for action (Hedström 2005 ; Uebel 2012 ).”
From A reflection on economic uncertainty and fertility in Europe: The Narrative Framework (2020) · cites this paper as Hedström 2005
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Implementing, Embedding, and Integrating Practices: An Outline of Normalization Process Theory
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“We therefore presented it as a general, and generalizable, middle-range theory, NPT [5,41]), that seeks to explain the processes of implementation, embedding, and integration of material practices in formally defined contexts, relates these processes to causal social mechanisms [42], identifies components of those mec…”
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Computational Social Science of Social Cohesion and Polarization
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- Authors
- Hedstrom, P.
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 2005-11-10
- OpenAlex
- W4206481413
- Cited by
- 816
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 53 · 2013: 54 · 2012: 62
- FWCI
- 21.84
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Realism in Sociology
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy and History of Science
- Keywords
- sociological theory, explanatory power, mechanism of action, micro-macro link, theory and empirical research, analytical sociology, social interaction
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