Theoretical and Comparative Analysis in Sociology

The book is divided into three main sections: theoretical analysis, qualitative comparative analysis, and quantitative comparative analysis. In the first section, a research program in theoretical sociology is introduced, followed by theoretical analyses such as a three-level framework for sustainable knowledge production, the origin of social norms, and their relationship with inequalities. This section also drafts an initial theory of social capital. The second section begins with fuzzy membership function indexing and calibration in sociology, followed by a historical comparative analysis of the relationship between political structure and economic development, as well as a fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis on state-building over time. The final section provides quantitative comparative analyses on topics such as political and economic development and their relationship with social inequality, ethnic conflicts, and scientific progress.