Empiricism as a Mandatory Instrument to Investigate the Social World

Both empiricism and theory are fundamental components that contribute significantly to the realm of sociology, however, I believe that more empirical research is needed within the discipline. To defend this position, I will be structuring this paper by Firstly, discussing the limitations of sociology as a theoretically-rich discipline due to the increasing demands of advanced theoretical development and nuanced research put forth by Healy (2017), Besbis and Khan (2017); and 2. Argue that the discipline should consist of a more empirical-based structure by reviewing the argument and the fundamental concepts featured in Rutherford’s (2012) Kinky Empiricism.

Advancing theoretical development in sociology has generated a theoretical-rich field which Besbris and Khan (2017) argue (using Bourdieu’s capital to demonstrate) counterintuitively depletes the field theoretically, as concepts are drained of their content to meet advancing theory, which produces ambiguousness and magnitude of rigid theoretical frameworks only appropriate to singular cases. This notion is analogous to Healy’s (2017) nuance traps, who argue theoretical glossing of empirical findings is counterproductive and leads to inflamed nuanced concepts that lose their substance (Healy 2017; Besbris and Khan 2017). Like myself, Healy (2017), Besbris and Khan (2017) argue that theory is important to sociology, however, the discipline should contain a less theoretically saturated nuanced structure (as theory is reformulated it loses conceptualization, thus becoming counterproductive) and consist of more empirically-rich approach by requesting that the majority of academia should be detailed; as science is the formation of innovative empirical discoveries (Besbris and Khan, 2017).

Extending on this trajectory, Rutherford (2012) discusses the demand for empiricism to reclaim its position by arguing we must further discuss the synergistic interaction of social phenomena on multiple scales and levels. Rutherford formulates ‘Kinky Empiricism’, is founded on an anthropological structure attuned to ethical, analytic, and reflexive variations which effectively create a research method allowing one to understand the position of the subjects in question (Rutherford, 2012). Correspondingly, by bringing ethnography into play, we can clearly comprehend vital descriptions of social phenomena, lived experiences, perspectives and realities of the subjects being studied (Rutherford, 2012). Through this trajectory, empiricism is not only a vital component of social research that illuminates the patterns, issues, phenomena, and the essence of the social world but ironically adds theoretical contribution and proves/disproves the theory. Empiricism is not only a compulsory instrument necessary to investigate the social world but is fundamental to the contribution and generation of knowledge within the discipline.