Causaliteit in sociologisch onderzoek

Samenvatting

The causal modeling techniques of a number of sociologists are criticized on the basis of a philosophical analysis of the notion of causality. The work of J. L. Mackie (The Cement of the Universe. A Study of Causality, Oxford U Press, 1974), in particular, offers ideas relevant to practical research situations. The logic of experiment remains essential in nonexperimental research in this view. Complex causal modeling is unsatisfactory due to inherent problems such as multicollinearity, transitivity, probabilism, contamination, nonrecursiveness, & latency. The practice of modeling can be improved through attention to the homogeneity of the causal field, the simplicity of causal models, & the externality of factors in a model, among other aspects. 3 Figures. Modified HA.