The Big-Tent Paradigm of Humanist Sociology: The Confluence of Theories and Methods in Service of Progressive Change

Paradigmatic and theoretical features of different sociological approaches are examined in an effort to situate what constitutes a humanist theory in relation to the range of sociological approaches to theory. After examining Lee’s typology of paradigms, an alternative analysis is offered along two dimensions: positivist/interpretivist and value-neutral/value-committed. Different theoretical approaches are examined along these dimensions in order to distinguish between humanistic and non-humanistic approaches.