What does interpretivism suggest about studying science?

Interpretivism posits that social phenomena should be studied through understanding the meanings that individuals attribute to their actions, rather than through purely objective or quantitative measures. This perspective suggests that the complexities of human behavior and social interaction are better understood through qualitative methods that emphasize the subjective experiences of people.

The view that science cannot be studied as a science aligns with the interpretivist belief that traditional scientific methods, which often prioritize objectivity, quantification, and generalization, may not adequately capture the nuanced and context-dependent nature of human behavior. Interpretivists argue that the social world is constructed from human interpretations and meanings, which cannot be reduced to numbers or models typically used in the natural sciences.

In contrast, the other options present methodologies that are not compatible with the interpretivist viewpoint. Quantitative methods, mathematical models, and strict testing protocols reflect a positivist approach, which focuses on objective measurement and scientific rigor rather than the subjective understanding that interpretivism champions. Thus, the assertion that it cannot be studied as a science aligns well with the fundamental principles of interpretivism.