Iranian Journal of Sociology

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