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Philosophy of the Social Sciences
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Popper's Situational Analysis and Contemporary Sociology

Peter Hedström

Stockholm University

Richard Swedberg

Stockholm University

Lars Udéhn

Stockholm University

This article assesses the value of Karl Popper's situational analysis for contem porary sociology We maintain that this element of Popper's social science methodology has been largely neglected by sociologists and suggest that this is because it is borrowed from economics. As such, situational analysis has much in common with recent attempts to introduce rational choice in sociology. Our main question is this: What is the contribution of situational analysis to the current debate about rational choice in sociology? Our answer is that Popper has little to add to this debate. His formulation of situational analysis is too general and too vague to be much of a guide to research. Among other things, situational analysis fails to pay due attention to interests and to social interaction in the explanation of social phenomena. On the positive side, we notice that Popper does include social institutions as the most important element in individuals' situations.

Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Vol. 28, No. 3, 339-364 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/004839319802800302
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