Explicación, mecanismo y simulación: otra manera de hacer sociología

• Main Author: José Ignacio García-Valdecasas Medina
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) 2014-05-01
• Series: EMPIRIA: Revista de Metodología de Ciencias Sociales
• Subjects: Ontology; Epistemology; Methodology; Agent-Based Modelling; Analytical Sociology
• Online Access: http://e-spacio.uned.es/revistasuned/index.php/empiria/article/view/12120/11440

Although Sociology was born with scientific vocation, its current status asa scientific discipline seems not to enjoy good health. Departing from this idea,the purpose of the paper is threefold: first, several arguments for explanations of social phenomena through mechanisms will be reviewed. Such explanations canoffer a suitable way to Sociology to be able to develop as an authentic science.Second, the idea that such explanations can be computational programmes createdby agent-based modelling will be justified. Finally, it will build new argumentsabout how such explanations can avoid the ambiguity and the obscurityconceptual that a part of sociology suffers; reduce its theoretical fragmentationand strengthen the multidisciplinary dialogue with the purpose of researchingin depth social reality as well as being able to design effective policies againstseveral social problems.