solved In this reading session “Is That True?: Critical Thinking for

In this reading session “Is That True?: Critical Thinking for Sociologists 1st Edition, Kindle Edition,” Ch 4-7, we learned of the logic of social
science, that “critical thinking is an appropriate response to any and
all claims, regardless of the credentials of the people who make them”
(Best, 2021, p. 45), how sociology is organized as a discipline and how
envy can affect scholarship, and that we, as emerging or full-fledged
sociologists, do not need to choose team culture or team structure
wholeheartedly as it oversimplifies the social world. My book is
especially marked up this reading session, is yours? I had to laugh at
the philosophy envy examples as I knew someone in grad school who used
those exact words ALL the time! There are so many ideas to talk about
from insiders/outsiders to the types of envy sociologists may
internalize to the need/desire to impress others (both in our “camp” and
other disciplines) to the true goal of sociology and more. Can’t wait
to see what got you thinking! For your post, share ONE “big ideas” that was new or insightful for you.
Explain why this is significant to you and the scientific study of the
social world. Identify something you didn’t understand well or that
raised more questions for you. Be sure to use in-text citations when
appropriate and page numbers so others can easily find the passages
you’re discussing! My answer : The most significant insightful idea is that most new studies in sociology are conducted due to criticism of an original claim. Critical thinking is necessary for determining the evidence produced to support different sociological perspectives based on rationale, pattern, causality, and precedence (Best, 2021, p. 40). Explanations and their challenges must be evaluated to provide evidence and hold both to similarly high standards. The author states that “In discussions among scientists, challenges must be subject to the same sorts of evaluations as the arguments being challenged. That is, we expect both those offering explanations and those challenging them to support their claims with evidence, and all that evidence must be weighed and judged (Best, 2021, p. 43)”. Various social science claims receive criticism from within or outside, which may be triggered by limitations that affect research results. I have learned that criticism of original claims leads to new research being conducted to either replicate the first study or use different procedures to determine if the original techniques may have shaped the findings. The best available evidence for sociology and social sciences is subject to critical evaluation and critical thinking (Best, 2021, p. 45). The idea is significant because it helps me understand how new research is established and the importance of criticism to a study. From the readings, what has been challenging to understand is the tragedy and comedy section. What makes it possible for sociologists to view their research in tragic terms and not in a comical way? The research should not focus on the plights of the individuals but can rely on their abilities which can be used to improve their lives. Therefore, the inclination of many researchers towards pessimism needs to be expounded further. How can we differentiate research from being pessimistic or optimistic? I want to explore the perspectives of pessimists and optimists further to understand the two better.ReferencesBest, J. (2021). Is that true?: Critical thinking for sociologists. University of California Press.My classmates posts: 1- Ailin Martinez-Vela As I was reading chapters 5 through 7 of Is that True? I came across an idea that was insightful to me. Joel Best claims that “It is more challenging to recognize our own culture; being immersed in it, we simply assume that our understanding of the world is correct, normal, sensible” (2021, p.79). This stood out to me because it is important to be aware of our own culture because it helps us from projecting our own values and morals onto others. Learning about other cultures helps us understand other perspective within the world. It helps us minimize stereotypes about groups in society. It is easy to get lost in our own world and forget that there is much more than what we are aware of. This statement is significant to the study of social world because being aware of cultural differences allows sociologist to “rely on comparisons”. This allows us to understand how we all play a role in society (Best, 2021, pg.79). 2- Kenia Tijera :One idea that was very interesting to me was the culture and social structure paragraphs and the points that the author gives us in order to look for evidence and get the facts about any information we have for the research. “It makes more sense to weight the evidence to determine when and how culture and social structure have an impact” (p.68). The explanations are very helpful to understand some points for example, why we need to have evidence if we want to have a reliable research instead of our opinions that will shape the results of the research differently. One thing that makes sense but did not really understand why is the peer reviewed articles only reviewed by the associations from that same school. For your TWO peer replies, engage with the author by elaborating, comparing or contrasting, sharing counterpoints, or drawing connections to specific course concepts. This is an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking, so avoid simplistic replies that mainly repeat Best’s or your classmate’s contributions (e.g. “I agree” or restating the author’s ideas). Try to bring something new, insightful, or provocative to the discussion! You want to further the conversation by adding new ideas, information, or perspectives. It’s OK to play “devil’s advocate”, just let others know so we’re all on the same page. Be sure to use in-text citations when appropriate and page numbers so others can easily find the passages you’re discussing! Write about 5- 6 sentencs paragraphs