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The term "middle-range theory" does not refer to a specific theory, but is rather an approach to theory construction. Raymond Boudon defines middle-range theory as a commitment to two ideas. The first is positive, and describes what such theories should do: sociological theories, like all scientific theories, should aim to consolidate otherwise ...
One of the hallmarks of mid-range theory compared to grand theories is that mid-range theories are more tangible and verifiable through testing. [10] The functions of middle-range theories includes to describe, explain, or predict phenomenon.
Grand theory is a term coined by the American sociologist C. Wright Mills in The Sociological Imagination [1] to refer to the form of highly abstract theorizing in which the formal organization and arrangement of concepts takes priority over understanding the social reality. In his view, grand theory is more or less separate from concrete ...
It is currently the de facto dominant approach to sociological theory construction, especially in the United States. Middle range theory starts with an empirical phenomenon (as opposed to a broad abstract entity like the social system) and abstracts from it to create general statements that can be verified by data. [7]
Middle-range theories, applicable to limited ranges of data, transcend sheer description of social phenomena and fill in the blanks between raw empiricism and grand or all-inclusive theory. [21] The identification of middle-range theories or "intermediate provisions", as defined by Rinzivillo (2019), is typical of the specification that passes ...
While some conflict approaches also gained popularity in the United States, the mainstream of the discipline instead shifted to a variety of empirically oriented middle-range theories with no single overarching, or "grand", theoretical orientation.
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Middle-range theory can refer to theories in: Middle-range theory (archaeology) , describes how people use objects and structures, and the human behaviors associated with this use Middle-range theory (sociology) , a theory with limited scope, that explains a specific set of phenomena