Collins, Randall. Conflict Sociology, Toward an Explanatory Science. Academic Press, 1975.

p. 5 Author to show that fundamentals from Marx, Weber, Durkheim fleshed out constitute explanation of how men think and act

p. 6 "The concept of science as an enterprise that proceeds by seeking the conditions for variations in phenomena gives a clear distinction between real explanation and pseudo-explanation."

METHODS - Phenomonologists

A Must directly confront the plurality and making the process of reality construction its objection of investigation

B Immed. observational methods focussing on everyday life are the only valid sociological approaches

C (Garfinkel 1967) "All social perception is constructed from inferences that take observables as indices of something else, and that imputations of meaning always include some features that are arbitrary to the specific situation." (p. 9)

Functionalism has failed to develop "grand theory" because of commitment to certain political values in particular systems theory commits itself to political unity or a political (usually nationalist) utopia.

Suggests conflict perspective grounding explanations in real people pursuing real interests.
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