Assessing theories and mechanisms in sociology: Insights from empirical studies on segregation, education, fertility, and class

Abstract

How can we assess theories and test theoretical mechanisms in sociology and the social sciences? This thesis presents five articles attempting to answer difficult sociological research questions using methods drawn from economics and behavior genetics, to assess theories and proposed mechanisms in the sociological research literature. These relate to the effects of segregated schools on native flight, the impact of local educational institutions on gender equality, social mobility and fertility patterns, and the role of genetic heritability in processes of class attainment. The articles represent a common approach to social science; critical rationalism, combined with the counterfactual approach to causality and causal inference, and a critical approach to theory.