2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Obviously the topic of human is limitless. Its scope is so diffused, broad and massive that we find it difficult to comprehend, think, examine and analyze. In brief we need to wear some sort of scientific lenses by which we can catch the world of observation in order to explain, predict and influence the course of actions. THE NEED FOR THEORY AND THEORIZING According toKeIIy(1999, P. 18). “Theory is a way of finding together all together a multitude of facts so that one may comprehend them all at once”. In a similar vein, (Sharer & Ashmore: 2002, P. 50) sees theory as “a set of interrelated ideas about a phenomena, which provides the framework for its explanation”. (Jonathan,1997 P.10) succinctly puts the issue in these terms. Theorizing can be viewed as the means by which the intellectual activity known as science realizes it is three principal goals these include: (1) To classify and organize events in the world so that they can be placed into perspectives. (2) To explain the courses of past events and predict when, and events will occur and (3) To offer and intuitively pleasing, sense of understanding why and how events should occur. Scholars have advanced plethora of views and theories in a bid to provide an explanation of the wide ranging multifaceted ideas of how social life is organized (KolIak: 1985, P. 223). On the other hand, a theory is a set of ideas, which provides as explanation for something. This is in view of the fact that
As described above, chapter five takes a look at the notion of theory, the book breaks down this chapter explain what is theory, making a theory, theory and contemporary social work and lastly expanding the theoretical possibilities. The textbook views on what a theory is that it can analysis of facts that can explain phenomena, it can describe anything values, oppression and grief. The making of a theory consists of developing different perspectives, critiquing existing approaches, question social exclusion and challenging social realities. Theory and contemporary social work is to evaluate theories, like social systems and ecosystem perspective and compare it to social
Everyone in the world has a theory about why something happens or how it happens, but in sociology there are many different types of theories that often contradict each other. Theory is defined as “a statement of how and why specific facts are related” (Macionis, 2013). Most theories explain why people act in certain ways and explains why a person in a group may act different than someone that is alone. When building sociological theories most sociologist ask their selves two different questions: “What issues should we study?” and “How should we connect the facts?” (Macionis, 2013). By answering these questions the sociologist is led to a road map, or a theoretical approach. Theoretical approach is described as “a basic image of society that
Theories are a series of interconnected proposals. Theories are an effort to describe, explain, predict, and finally control a period of events. We are able to base our experiments and select the contenders for the experiments off of our theories. We are able to test our theories by how well the cumulated data describes, relates to and predicts reality. Theories act as patterns for interpreting specific data that we may refer back to. These patterns ensure we stay on topic and are able to obtain the proper results needed to verify our theories.
2) A theory is defined as an organized set of concepts that explains a phenomenon or set of phenomena. - True
A theory is a set of systematic informed hunches about the way things work. A good theory goes beyond accepted wisdom and offers explanations and speculations about phenomena. Additionally, a good theory consists of a system of concepts which means that the theorist were able to make connections among his ideas. A theory tends to shape our perception of reality and behaviour and guides us through unknown areas.
Another advantage of theories is that there are many kinds to suit a diversity of people. For example, if a teacher observes that students are interested to learn about children, there are many theories about how children learn and mature. Also, some teachers will prefer some theories over others, and because there are many theories, people can choose one that best suites their beliefs and styles of life. For example, I find most of the theories helpful and capable of guiding people when they do not have any other resources. For instance, in the olden times’ child labour was an issue, and people were not educated as they are now. This I learned it from this lesson and also from my grandmother. My grandmother used to tell me stories of how children especially girls had to start work early. The children did not only help in the house to raise the babies and clean, but they also worked at the family business. Boys, however, were encouraged to go to school and expand the family business or start their own work. In addition, evidently from this lesson and from my experience, in the olden times, people did not keep track of their age. This can victimize children again. Not only children were victims of labour, but they were on many occasions forced to marry at a young age. Psychologist, who wanted to help children or young adults, came up with theories for
Theory simply tells the essential truth about the real world through evidence obtained by scientific method. Barker defines theory as a group of related hypotheses, concepts, and constructs, based on facts and observations all in which attempt to explain a phenomenon. Every theory is unique, but can reflect some of the same general ideas. Though every theory has a different focus, they can all be intertwined in order to enhance therapeutic alliance. In order to choose the best theoretical orientation for ourselves and how they will benefit our practice, we first have to understand the meaning of theoretical orientation.
A theory is an explanation of why or how things are related to each other (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Additionally, a theory is defined as a plausible or scientifically acceptable principle, or a body of principles, offered to explain phenomena (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2017). Furthermore, crime theories examine and attempt to identify relationships among humans, criminal behavior, and specific factors such as biological factors, psychological factors, sociological factors, and economic factors (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Since we have defined a theory, let us further discuss how theories are created beginning with the components of a theory.
2. Theory simply means we come up with a problem, and we look for a solution. A theory is a series that tries to
In the scientific world, the word “theory” is formally used to describe a collection of hypothesis, facts and observations of an aspect of the natural world. A theory for science is something that already has a very well grounded explanation, evidences and a model to confirm or not the theory. Also, a theory is open to new hypothesis and new observations. For example the Evolution Theory, Relativity Theory. However, in the daily language, “theory” is widely used to describe something that people are not sure about, some hypothesis that someone makes to suppose an event. For example, when a flashlight does not want to work, we make a theory that the batteries are dead.
Theory is a journey to uncover the past and improve the future. By uncovering and analyzing a discipline’s theoretical journey, insight and self-awareness are gained. According to Meleis (2012), “Theories are reservoirs in which related knowledge is articulated and organized into meaningful wholes” (p.33). By implementing and analyzing theories, empowerment and guidance for the future is obtained.
Theory delivers an instrument or idea to understand a specific theme, and provides tangible enlightenment for it. The real-world application of theory can be done only with the assistance of the understanding provided by the theory. Theory can be verified only by how it applies practically to the hypothesized ideas, explanations and variables that require examination. This can be accomplished through how it is applied. Consequently, the two terms of research and theory are interlinked, and there is a shared association between both theory and its application.
To understand what a theory is, I think it would be better to have a clear concept of what it is not. Often theorists confuse the following aspects of a research to a theory. We can say that all of the following aid a theorist in developing a theory, but they themselves cannot rather should not be considered theories.
Theory as applied to science is truth based on empirical evidence, however the word theory is arbitrarily thrown around by the public as meaning “supposedly the truth” as is the phrase “physical evidence” as physical also encompasses life. Hypocritically speaking, the modern world is built around the word “theory” and yet how many people have any reality of this word and what they actually live by ? Public attitudes reflect controversy, conflict and confusion.
Some people question the value of history and theory. Their arguments are usually based on the assumptions that history has no relevance to contemporary society and that theory is abstract and is of no practical use. However, in reality, both theory and history are important to all managers today.