Analyzing Thomas Kuhn's Paradigm Shift in Social Science: Essay

This essay delves into Thomas Kuhn's influential theory of paradigm shift, exploring its relevance within the context of social science. It begins by introducing Kuhn's concept of how scientific progress occurs through revolutionary shifts rather than linear accumulation, emphasizing the role of paradigms, which are fundamental frameworks of assumptions and methods. The essay then outlines the stages of Kuhn's cycle, including pre-science, normal science, model shift, model crises, model revolution, and paradigm change, providing a detailed understanding of each phase. Furthermore, it examines the relationship between Kuhn's ideas and social science, discussing how the theory can be applied to understand societal changes and intellectual developments. The essay also touches upon criticisms of Kuhn's views, particularly from Karl Popper, and highlights the significance of Kuhn's framework in addressing contemporary global issues. Finally, it draws connections to the application of Kuhn's theory in business and other fields, illustrating its broad applicability and enduring impact on how we understand scientific and societal progress.

THOMAS KUHN

Table of Contents
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

In this essay, theory of Thomas Kuhn that is paradigm shift will be discussed. It is related
to normal science and social science. Social science is concerned with the relationship between
the individuals in the society. Thomas Kuhn's cycle have also been discussed in the report
considering various stages on paradigm. Further, the relationship of Thomas Kuhn's theory with
that of social science have also been focussed upon.
Main Body
Thomas Kuhn was born in 1922 was an American physicist who wrote a lot in the history
of science. However, his viewpoint is quite different from that of other physicist. The major
contribution made by Thomas Kuhn was the paradigm shift which is heavily influenced by
sociology (Berger, 2014).
According to the paradigm shift theory of Thomas Kuhn, science goes through a shift
rather than increasing in straight line and continuous manner. It has helped various scientist to
approach science in different manner which was never considered by them earlier. Further, the
understanding of science doesn't rely on objectivity as the subjective approach is also important
and need to be analysed time to time by the researchers (Bird, 2014).
Paradigm is a basic structure of assumptions, principles, methods and techniques which
governs scientific community and its science. According to paradigm shift, science do not move
in straight line to gather new knowledge but it goes through periodic revolutions where the
nature of science is drastically transformed from one field to another. A paradigm can be
described as what is observed and scrutinized, the answer should relate to the subject, structure
of the question, the way in which results of the questions and investigations can be interpreted. It
helps in assessing the problems in the field and finding the solution to it. It has been common
because it helps in better evaluation of the problem and practitioners are able to get better results
in comparison to the use of other models. Paradigm is necessary part of life as one have to adjust
according to the change (Blyth, 2013). It shows that world is not static and the individual must
be shock absorber and adapt to the changes that comes its way as it will be difficult to lead a life
when individual doesn't adapt the changes which come its way. .
According to the Kuhn's view of Paradigm shift there is no existence of science without
shared paradigm. There are rival thoughts of it that exists in school of thoughts as well who
thinks that a bit of stability is also required in the thoughts and the process as well. Most of the
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time, the paradigm goes unchallenged which is called as normal science by Thomas Kuhn. As
per normal paradigm, scientists work to solve puzzles which is considered as scientists paradigm.
It helps in defining the question and answering it in appropriate manner. Scientists work on these
puzzles and treat it as fill in the blanks and they need to find the correct answer that can help in
assessing the results of the question (Christ, 2014). They try to work for the nearest solution if
they are not able to assess the correct answer. According to the theory of Thomas every detail of
the question is known in advance however, the challenge is not to uncover the unknown part of
the question but the known part.
The main advantage of paradigm is that it allows the scientist to get agree on the basics of
science so that they can solve the puzzles in better manner. The challenge to current concept of
science which helped in assessing new ideas. It helped to get an explosion of knowledge whose
evolution depends on introduction of different ways of thoughts.
Normal science is another factor of as per Kuhn's theory. Scientists are involved in their
regular work which includes assessing the theory, observance and doing experiments based on
exploratory framework of the research. It doesn't question the existing theory and make it as a
base of research. Social science is remaining on pre paradigmatic level in current scenario. In
order to test and invent new facts, it is important to consider theoretical paradigm as well.
Normal science view of Thomas Kuhn's was critically analysed by Karl Popper as it found it as a
conservative approach (Cohen, Feyerabend and Wartofsky, 2012).
Thomas Kuhn's theory is important in solving various problems that arise in global
environment as sustainability is the major issue that is faced by it. The problem is large,
complex, novel, urgent and it is difficult to find the answer of the question with the current
paradigm and requires developing a new one. It will help in opting for a new way rather than
using the existing one. The model of Kuhn's can be applied which have divided in various steps
which helps in assessing the paradigm in better manner. .
There are some global environmental sustainability problems that is so large, urgent,
novel and complex and they solution are so difficult to solve the problem and it is necessary to
create the paradigm shift. For conceiving the hurdle, there is requirement for to new thinking as
well as fundamental thinking (Dann, 2014). Paradigm shift is an important change that occurs
when the usual thinking is replaced with the new and different way for doing something. Hence,
that thinking will bring paradigm shift of understanding the evaluation. The theory state that
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human being have to progress themselves for forever and the thinking or learning will never
ends. Thus, it includes the cycle and different phases is involved in the cycle, that are as follows:
Pre-science: It is the pre-paradigm change which provides that the reform have begins to occur.
In this stage, the clear mission have been identified and it may start to evolve in the outcome to
new ideas and changing conditions. According to it, individual need to focus on the problem area
where he or she is not able to solve the problem and make advance changes.
Normal science: in this stage, individual make the working approach and format and operate
these as according to the new ideas. In this stage, the idea which is generated in the previous
stage, become common for the individual. The person implements new theories and strategies so
that they can move forward to the paradigm shift in his or her life. The idea which is generated
should be practically test before implementation, individual should analysis himself to find its
strength and weakness in order to find that he or she is capable for this paradigm shift in his or
her life. This stage long time as compare to the other stage because at this stage individual take
decision after analysing himself that he will able to attend the paradigm shift. The decision which
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Illustration 1: The Kuhn's cycle

is made in this stage will take longer time to find the major progress and central problems (Dosi
and Nelson, 2016).
Model shift: The stage includes the encouragement to the individual to find the solution of
systematic and scientific change. In this stage several difficulties are arises which become the
hurdles to achieve the paradigm shift in the life. Several questions have been arises in this stage
where the person does not have answered about the questions.
Model crises: In this stage several unsolved abnormality have been occurred and that is called
Model crises. This state that the problem that have arrived have no solution and the solution
which is identified in the normal science stage are not capable to solve the problem of individual.
This is the most challenging phase for the person, either he has to accept the solution or he has to
find new alternative to solve the problem. As it very painful for the individual to accept that the
solution which he has found are not capable enough to solve the problem, so he need to go back
to the normal science stage again to find different alternative to solve the hurdles (Dyson, 2012).
Model revolution: as the previous stage was so difficult and painful for the individual, now he
has to find new model and understand that model so that revolution take place. The struggle
which is made by him help to find new model which is effective to solve the problems (Gordon,
2012). As the new model is the new paradigm. Each user of the alternative should judge each
other in this stage that which process is creating resistance to apply the alternative which create
the paradigm in their life.
Paradigm change: In this stage, the paradigm change steps have been implemented so that it
solve the problems which is coming in his life. He compares the old paradigm with the new one
to find the changes and to find that the new one is effective or not (Sturm and Mülberger, 2012).
In this phase old paradigm is replaced with the new one, if he finds that it will create change. As
he satisfied with the new paradigm, new problem arises and again that will run to find the
solution which is coming in the individual life.
According, to the view by Thomas Kuhn's he argued that science undergoes its
revolutions in the form of period not in the form of linear accumulation of fresh and newly
invented knowledge. Kuhn's had identified different evolution of for the scientific changes and
their views which has influencing new evolutions. Kuhn's theories and works is largely using in
Social science. This could be very much clear by taking an example, of the post perspective
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debate relations with International. Behind the post scientific knowledge of Merton sociology its
foundational forces is being credited to Kuhn's, his work is also using in different scientific and
historical communities of Arts and Humanities. Its thought has socially impacted on
understanding the history of economic thoughts and others. For instance, paradigm shift can
occur in the business when customers demand for high quality products which is more than that
which is actually produced by the entity.
Thomus kuhn's thesis enables many social scientists for the evaluation of their work.
Earlier before it was thought for the science of Kuhn's that it will never meet the standards' ad
demands of the science, but later according to his shared standards which actually defined by the
shared commitment of different scientists to a paradigm in which they improve and applies their
theories, According to theory proposed by Kuhn's, he also denied for inflexion science as the
status of social science, he proposed this because of its deficiency agreement with respect to
dominant paradigms (Kuhn, 2012). Although, social science argued that the thesis proposed by
them can still be applied on each of those competing individual paradigm, this is allowing social
science to clam their work is in scientific way. Later Popperian failure criticises non-
experimental which is verifiable for social science by green. Later, the era of social science had
begun in the form of earning, later many of the scientists had accepted the terms of contemporary
physics and they had adopted this enlightening believe as their source of development in science,
and physics was considered as first science. Some other biological perspective for social science
were arguing about, the taking of Appraisal very gravely in political science. The report was also
outlining the settled dangers regarding to social system as in Newtonian machine, On the other
hand the problem which was arising to the reductionist is believed that different factors of social
system can be listed. In contrasting to all the above, paper was arguing that by approaching
social media with the help of an evolutionary perspective is way much effective and appropriate
philosophically, and considered more helpful in scientific expansion (Spragens, 2015).
This approach is allowing us to examine different dynamic behaviour of social changes
and in the explanation of phenomenon consistency in terms of their lasting, which will disappear,
and on modification, but still confronting some specific questions on the basis of particular
institution changes (Nici and et.al., 2014). One example of personal paradigm shift is change in
the lifestyle of the individual due to different city and cultures. Another instance is earlier
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children were not given much love and affection due to high mortality rate but things have
changed in modern times.
Social science is an important aspect of the society, where Kuhn's work may not have
been centre of attention. However, it has given a direction to the research. It has given positivism
to researcher that there can be something different discovered which may not relate to the
existing research as well. It will give a new paradigm to the environment. Assessing the current
issues related to environment helps in finding out accurate solutions to the existing problem. The
main difference between natural science and social science is that the first one give unchanging
interpretations that are required to be followed by the researcher. On the other hand, the outputs
of social science can be changed depending upon the condition of the environment (Parsons,
2012). Re interpretation of the results that have already been evaluated by some researcher is an
active though of Thomas Kuhn. Paradigm shift have a greater impact on the functioning of the
social science as the scientist can give their own judgement about a topic or a circumstances by
analysing it solving the question in the research. Social science problems such as global
sustainability which is the major issue these days requires a paradigm shift where present
discoveries can not solve the problem involved in it. Rather, it will require some new discoveries
and a shift of paradigm to take place in order to research about the issue and solve the problem.
The paradigm is very much related to the primary field of study that is natural science
and social science. Natural science focus on the happening that have been experimented and
taken as it is in the further research. Social science opt for paradigm shift as and when time
changes.
The concept of paradigm shift is directly related to project management. A project has
pre decided cost, schedule and scope. If the company is able to complete the project below the
expected cost than it becomes successful and vice versa. The project may be successful in
medium term but if it fails in long term it becomes unsuccessful. It may not achieve the expected
benefits in near future. The paradigm shift move in following manner in a business:
Step 1: Introduction of a marketing concept
Step 2: Adoption of the concept
Step 3: Study of the environment
Step 4: Introduction of new more effective marketing
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Step 5: Adoption of new concept
It can be concluded from the theory of Thomas Kuhn that change is an important factor
that should be adopted by every individual. The theory is directly related to social science as it
talks about the change in environment and opt for new discoveries that can help in better
reporting of the current problems. Further, opting for the paradigm open up the space to find the
answers of the questions that are to be researched.
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