Comparative Methods in the Social Sciences

Even after teaching generations of social scientists, this classic book by Berkeley’s Neil J. Smelser remains the most definitive statement of methodological issues for all comparative scholars and in political science, anthropology, sociology, economics and psychology. Such issues are timeless and therefore Smelser’s lucid analysis remains timely and relevant.

Smelser posits a methodological continuity between the comparative studies of past masters and the more recent flow of contemporary comparative work. To that end, he takes a pragmatic, critical look at the classic studies of Alexis de Tocqueville, Emile Durkheim, and Max Weber. His analyses respect the historical specifics and contexts of their work, but at the same time raise general issues such as cross-unit comparability, empirical representation of theoretical concepts and measures, and historical causality. The book also deals with the ongoing flows of comparative study in the social sciences, which, while methodologically more self-conscious than past work, nevertheless face a common set of issues, including causation and classification.

The book’s unique clarity makes it particularly useful for working scholars as well as students fighting their way through the methodological thickets of comparative studies.

This book is one of the most well-known and frequently referenced studies of methodology and historical applications in the social sciences, and how the approaches vary by disciplines. It is written by the internationally recognized expert on the intersection of sociology with economics, psychology, and political science. An enduring resource, it is presented now as part of the Classics of the Social Sciences Series from Quid Pro Books. The high-quality eBook edition offers active Contents and linked notes, proper digital formatting for ereader devices and apps, and all the figures and charts of the print edition.