Abstract
A deep schism exists within the social sciences between the ‘Marginal-Positivist’, who feels meaningful change can be made through marginal steps in our social systems, and the ‘Revolutionary’, who feels fundamental alterations are needed before our systems will work for the betterment of mankind. This essay asks whether social indicators are compatible with the methodologies of each group, and if so, whether they offer a new possibility for a fruitful dialogue.
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The author wrote this paper while he was a visiting professor at the University of Frankfurt am Main. He is appreciative of the helpful comments made by Susan Buck-Morss, Prof. Dr G. Fleishmann, and Prof. Dr W. Zapf on an earlier version of this paper.
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Morss, E.R. The revolutionary and the Marginal-Positivist: Does the social indicators movement open up new possibilities for a dialogue?. Soc Indic Res 1, 229–242 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302890
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00302890