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Sociology Optional PYQ Solutions · Model answer

What is the importance of Merton’s ‘Middle Range Theory’ in sociology? Discuss critically.

  • UPSC 1991
  • Sociological Thinkers

Robert K. Merton first proposed theories of the middle range in 1948, as a comment on Talcott Parsons' call for a general theory. He developed the idea in Social Theory and Social Structure (1949; 1968). Such theories are general enough to cover many cases but close enough to data to be tested. Their value lies…

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What the full answer covers

  • Importance for the discipline
  • Importance for Indian sociology and empirical research
  • Critical assessment
  • Conclusion

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