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Middle-range theory, developed by Robert K. Merton, is an approach to sociological theorizing aimed at integrating theory and empirical research. It is currently the de facto dominant approach to sociological theory construction, [ 1 ] especially in the United States.
Merton's extensive research highlighted a complementarity between puritanical Protestant beliefs and science, which developed rapidly in the seventeenth century. [18] Merton believed that middle range theories bypassed the failures of larger theories, which are too distant from observing social behavior in a particular social setting. [19]
The Merton thesis has two separate parts: firstly, it presents a theory that science changes due to an accumulation of observations and improvement in experimental technique and methodology; secondly, it puts forward the argument that the popularity of science in England in the 17th century, and the religious demography of the Royal Society (English scientists of that time were predominantly ...
The ideas of this theory were developed by Kenneth Ferraro and colleagues as an integrative or middle-range theory.Originally specified in five axioms and nineteen propositions, cumulative inequality theory incorporates elements from the following theories and perspectives, several of which are related to the study of society:
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
Social Theory and Social Structure (STSS) was a landmark publication in sociology by Robert K. Merton. It has been translated into close to 20 languages and is one of the most frequently cited texts in social sciences. [1] It was first published in 1949, although revised editions of 1957 and 1968 are often cited.
Merton tended to emphasize middle range theory rather than a grand theory, meaning that he was able to deal specifically with some of the limitations in Parsons' thinking. Merton believed that any social structure probably has many functions, some more obvious than others. [ 1 ]
Analytical sociology can be seen as contemporary incarnation of Robert K. Merton's well-known notion of middle-range theory, without the aim of using Middle range theories to arrive at general theories [1].