Special Issue "Explanation and Causality in Sociology" 

In sociology and related disciplines, classic methodological questions continually arise anew in light of theoretical discussions, methodological innovations, and new data sources: How can social phenomena be explained? How can causality be conceptualized, and how can valid causal inferences be drawn? How can history, culture, and meaning be incorporated into explanations? How does explanation relate to description, understanding, and prediction? What potential and challenges do digital behavioral data and computational methods present for sociology as an explanatory science? Special Issue 66 of the Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie explores these and similar questions across 22 chapters. The special issue was edited by Gunnar Otte, Nico Sonntag, Heinz Leitgöb, Natascha Nisic, and Werner Raub. It stems largely from the activities of the AS Working Group on “Methodology of the Social Sciences.” Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie in 22 Kapiteln nach. Das Sonderheft haben Gunnar Otte, Nico Sonntag, Heinz Leitgöb, Natascha Nisic und Werner Raub herausgegeben. Es geht maßgeblich auf die Aktivitäten des AS-Arbeitskreises „Methodologie der Sozialwissenschaften“ zurück.

Link to the Open Access special issue ( https://link.springer.com/journal/11577/volumes-and-issues/78-3 ) https://link.springer.com/journal/11577/volumes-and-issues/78-3 )