Iranian Sociological of Association Iranian Journal of Sociology 1735-1901 26 1 2025 03 21 Methodological Dominance: Rethinking the Place of Paradigm, Theory, and Methodology in Social Science Research Methodological Dominance: Rethinking the Place of Paradigm, Theory, and Methodology in Social Science Research 740856 10.22034/jsi.2026.2095149.1843 FA Kaveh Haji-Allahverdipoor Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran 0000-0001-7947-0045 Journal Article 2026 07 22 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 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