Iranian Journal of Sociology

Methodological Dominance: Rethinking the Place of Paradigm, Theory, and Methodology in Social Science Research

Articles in Press

Author

Kaveh Haji-Allahverdipoor

Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/jsi.2026.2095149.1843
Abstract
This study is based on the premise that a problem in contemporary social science research is the inversion of its logical architecture and, consequently, a shift in the roles and relationships among paradigm, problem formulation, theory, and methodology. The theoretical framework draws on the philosophy of science and the philosophy of social science, with emphasis on Kuhn’s concept of paradigm and Lakatos’s notion of the research programme. This study uses documentary research, conceptual analysis, theoretical reconstruction, and critical analysis to formulate the concept of "methodological dominance" and reconstruct the relationship among paradigm, theory, problem formulation, and methodology. Methodological dominance refers to a condition in which methodology moves beyond its subordinate role within research design and becomes a reference point for designing, conducting, and evaluating research. The study argues that the primacy of methodology, and consequently of methods and techniques, weakens sociology’s capacity for problem formulation, conceptualization, and theory building

Keywords

Methodological dominance
Logical architecture of the levels of analysis
Paradigm
Methodology
Philosophy of social science
Subjects
Iranian Journal of Sociology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 30 August 2026

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