Concepts and Method in Social Science: The Tradition of Giovanni Sartori

by Collier; David

• ISBN13: 9780415775779
• ISBN10: 0415775779
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-01-26
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Careful work with concepts is a cornerstone of good social science methodology. Concepts and Method in Social Sciencedemonstrates the crucial role of concepts, providing a timely contribution that draws both on the classic work of Giovanni Sartori and the writing of a younger generation of scholars. In this volume, major writings of Sartori are juxtaposed with other work that exemplifies important approaches to concept analysis. The book is organized into three key sections: Part I : Sartori on Concepts and Methods'¬ ; including an examination of the necessary logical steps in moving from conceptualization to measurement and the relationships among meanings, terms and observations. Part II: Extending the Sartori Tradition'¬ ; eminent scholars analyse five key ideas in concept analysis: revolution, culture, democracy, peasants and institutionalization within the context of the Sartori tradition. Part III: In the Academy and Beyond'¬ ; both an engaging autobiographical essay written by Giovanni Sartori and reflections from former students provide a unique context in which to situate this varied and rigorous discussion of concept analysis and qualitative methods. Concepts and Method in Social Scienceis an accessible text that is well suited to advanced undergraduates and graduate students, providing a distinct and coherent introduction to comparative political analysis.

Table of Contents

Introduction David Collier and John Gerring Part I: Sartori on Concepts and Method 1. Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics 2. What is Politics? 3. The Tower of Babel 4. Guidelines for Concept Analysis 5. Comparing and Miscomparing 6. Excerpts on Concepts, Definitions, and Models: Democracy:"What Is" vs. "How Much", From Classification to Measurement, Politics as Collectivized Decisions, What Is a Model? Part II: Extending the Sartori Tradition 7. Point of Departure: Intension and Extension Gary Goertz 8. Revolution: Untangling Altertnative Meanings Cristoph Kotowski 9. Culture: Joining Minimal Definitions and Ideal Types John Gerring and Paul Barresi 10. Democracy: Conceptual Hierarchies in Comparative Research David Collier and Steven Levitsky 11. Peasant: Clarifying Meaning and Refining Explanation Marcus Kurtz 12. Institutionalization: Unpacking the Concept and Explaining Party Change Steven Levitsky Part III: In the Academy and Beyond 13. Chance, Luck and Stubbornness: An Autobiographical Essay Giovanni Sartori 14. Teacher and Mentor Cindy Skach, Edward Walker, Hector Schamis Edward Gibson and Christoph Kotowski 15. Biography and Bibliography Oreste Massari