SOCIOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY: PARADIGMS, TYPES, AND CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT TRENDS
Keywords:
sociology, methodology, paradigm, sociological research, functionalism, phenomenology, empirical methodology, interpretive sociology, social reality, scientific knowledge.Abstract
This article examines the theoretical foundations of sociological methodology, its paradigms, major classifications, and contemporary development trends. The study analyzes the concepts of methodology and research methods, highlighting their similarities and differences. Particular attention is given to the evolution of sociological paradigms, including positivist, functionalist, phenomenological, and interpretive approaches. The paper explores general, special, and empirical methodologies as well as explanatory, descriptive, and interpretive methodological traditions. The findings indicate that modern sociology is characterized by methodological pluralism, where different paradigms contribute to understanding diverse dimensions of social reality. The article concludes that the integration of theoretical and empirical approaches remains a key challenge for contemporary sociological research.
