Student Activity: 

 
1. Make an observation of reality, in particular, social phenomenon and form a hypothesis
or an unconfirmed assumption, that must be later established as a law. Be specific in
pointing out what the social phenomenon is. You may put it in either interrogative or
declarative form, for instance: Why are people religious? (Religiosity). Describe the
circumstances surrounding the social phenomenon you will mention/give the details. 

 Language is a social phenomenon, and a key aspect of its acquisition is its use in various
social settings, settings in which speakers often string sentences together into some type
of discourse. One frequently studied type of discourse is narrative. When children are
approximately 27 months old, they begin to talk about past events. As always, production
can be studied by audio-recording children's productions and subsequently transcribing
and analyzing them using one of a number of available analyses. Personal narratives have
been recorded in many different natural settings, particularly meal times.

2. Gather sufficient information to prove your hypothesis. 

 A procedure has been developed to elicit personal narratives in a structured but

naturalistic conversation by having researchers tell personal stories of their own to
prompt children. For example, after making sure a child is comfortable and talks readily
with an adult, the adult might say, “See this bandage? Yesterday I was peeling a potato,
and I cut my finger. Has anything like that ever happened to you?” This procedure has
worked well with children from many different cultural backgrounds.

3. State your conclusion.

 Social phenomena are the results of complex multivariate processes in which the causal

variables are often correlated. Ultimately, the best way to recognize a left-out variable
problem is to use theory, prior empirical research, and common sense as guides to what
variables ought to be included in the model. Given the near impossibility of measuring all
the relevant variables, virtually all social science analyses are plagued by omitted
variable bias to some degree. However, understanding the mechanics of omitted variable
bias can suggest the probable size and direction of the bias. Perhaps more important, it
can help the researcher to decide which left-out variables cause the most serious threat to
the validity of research findings and therefore indicate where further time, money, and
effort can be most usefully deployed.
4. What is the relevance of positive philosophy(positivism) in the science of society? What is
the purpose of the science of society? 

 The need for societal decision making to go beyond objective information contributes to
a long-running and often contentious disagreement within the scientific community on
the appropriate role of scientists in civic discussions. Some argue that scientists should
maintain their objectivity by avoiding civic engagement altogether or by focusing
exclusively on providing information relevant to civic discussions. This helps, the
argument goes, to ensure that scientific insights are as free from external influences as
possible and are perceived as unbiased, accurate, and legitimate.