Publications [#257377] of Martin Ruef

Journal Articles

1. Ruef, M, Prolegomenon to the Relation between Social Theory and Method, Journal of Mathematical Sociology, vol. 22 no. 3 (1997), pp. 303-332, Informa UK Limited, ISSN 0022-250X [doi]
   (last updated on 2026/01/23)

   Abstract:
   Building on the work of Noam Chomsky (1963), this paper presents a hierarchy of grammars and associated computational automata in order to inform social theory construction and method. A detailed exposition of linguistic forms within the grammar hierarchy reveals clear analogues with common social scientific paradigms. Two of these paradigms (which are termed structural and process approaches) are already being widely exploited by formal methodological techniques. A third paradigm, which is rooted in a tradition of interpretive sociology, has been more resistant to formalization. Using arguments from theoretical computer science, the paper suggests that existing quantitative methodologies can be extended to accommodate qualitative arguments which subsume empirical domains as diverse as natural language and structurational phenomena.