The sociology of computing in sociology

Abstract

One of the consequences of the introduction and extension of computing in sociology is the division of sociologists into two antagonistic groups: the empiricists and the humanists. The empiricists expect the computer to be the basic vehicle of salvation, whereas the humanists believe the computer to be the incarnation of all that is evil. A prolonged battle over computation and the utilization of computers in sociology may widen the cleavage between the two groups and make their differences irreconcilable. The major purpose of this paper is to trace how computation in sociology has contributed to this political cleavage and to present a possible start towards a future synthesis.