Is that true? : critical thinking for sociologists / Joel Best.
| Author/creator | Best, Joel author. |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication | Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2021] |
| Description | 1 online resource |
| Supplemental Content | ProQuest Ebook Central |
| Subjects |
| Contents | What Is Critical Thinking? -- The Basics : Arguments and Assumptions -- Everyday Arguments -- Anecdotes -- Ad Hominem Arguments -- Myths -- Folk Wisdom and Metaphors -- Facts -- Everyday Reasoning -- The Logic of Social Science -- Patterns -- Causality -- Judging Social Scientific Claims -- The Importance of Evidence -- Authority and Social Science Arguments -- Challenges for Social Science -- The Case of Sociology -- Thinking about Sociology and Critical Thinking -- Sociology as a Social World -- Camps -- Envy -- Sociology's Subdivisions -- Orientations -- Optimism and Pessimism -- Team Culture and Team Structure -- Insiders and Outsiders -- Tragedy and Comedy -- The Importance of Orientations -- Words -- Jargon -- Word Fads -- Definitions -- Concept Creep -- Questions and Measurements -- Sociological Questions -- Empirical Questions -- Measurement -- What Is Being Measured? -- Questioning Measurements -- Variables and Comparison -- Variables -- Issues with Comparison -- Varieties of Comparative Findings -- Replication -- Comparison in Qualitative Research -- Questioning Comparisons -- Tendencies -- Patterned Tendencies -- The Ecological Fallacy -- The Modesty of Sociological Explanations -- Thinking about Tendencies -- Evidence -- Effective Evidence -- Not-So-Effective Evidence -- Questioning Evidence Choices -- Questions about Research -- Echo Chambers -- Recognizing and Addressing One's Own Biases -- Expectations and Sociologists -- The Complications of Ideological Homogeneity -- The Importance of Self-Criticism -- Tough Topics -- Cultural Waves -- Good Guys and Bad Guys -- Taboos -- Thinking about What's Difficult -- Afterword : Why Critical Thinking Is Important. |
| Contents | 6. Sociology as a Social World -- Camps -- Envy -- Sociology's Subdivisions -- 7. Orientations -- Optimism and Pessimism -- Team Culture and Team Structure -- Insiders and Outsiders -- Tragedy and Comedy -- The Importance of Orientations -- 8. Words -- Jargon -- Word Fads -- Definitions -- Concept Creep -- 9. Questions and Measurements -- Sociological Questions -- Empirical Questions -- Measurement -- What Is Being Measured? -- Questioning Measurements -- 10. Variables and Comparison -- Variables -- Issues with Comparison -- Varieties of Comparative Findings -- Replication |
| Contents | Comparison in Qualitative Research -- Questioning Comparisons -- 11. Tendencies -- Patterned Tendencies -- The Ecological Fallacy -- The Modesty of Sociological Explanations -- Thinking about Tendencies -- 12. Evidence -- Effective Evidence -- Not-So-Effective Evidence -- Questioning Evidence Choices -- Questions about Research -- 13. Echo Chambers -- Recognizing and Addressing One's Own Biases -- Expectations and Sociologists -- The Complications of Ideological Homogeneity -- The Importance of Self-Criticism -- 14. Tough Topics -- Cultural Waves -- Good Guys and Bad Guys -- Taboos |
| Contents | Thinking about What's Difficult -- Afterword: Why Critical Thinking Is Important -- Notes -- References -- Index |
| Abstract | "This book offers an introduction to critical thinking for sociologists. Critical thinking involves the evaluation of arguments. Because sociologists tend to use particular forms of argumentation, it is helpful to consider how such arguments might be evaluated. Taking these matters into consideration can improve sociological arguments"-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Source of description | Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on February 11, 2021). |
| Issued in other form | Print version: Best, Joel. Is that true? Oakland, California : University of California Press, 2021 9780520381391 |
| Genre/form | Electronic books. |
| LCCN | 2020032132 |
| ISBN | 0520381416 (electronic book) |
| ISBN | 9780520381414 (electronic bk.) |
| ISBN | (hardcover) |
| ISBN | (paperback) |
| Stock number | 22573/ctv1h8bk1s JSTOR |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic Resources | Access Content Online | ✔ Available |