Theorizing Culture

Some work wrestling with aspects of cultural influence (see Approaches page) has done so theoretically but not necessarily empirically. Milkie and Denny (2014) refer to this as a “top-down” approach to the study of culture --- one where scholars theorize about the content and influence of culture by specifying models or ideal types a priori, sometimes without collecting data or taking systematic measurements. Those who theorize about culture on the basis of findings from empirical data collection and measurements are said to be working with a “bottom-up” approach to the study of culture (Milkie and Denny 2014).

The question is: what can we know about what culture is or how it works without empirical work (i.e., using a “top-down” approach)? Said another way, is theorizing about culture a sufficient method in itself? Talk about it here.  

Reference

Milkie, Melissa A. and Kathleen E. Denny. 2014. “Changes in the Cultural Model of  Father Involvement: Descriptions of Benefits to Fathers, Children, and Mothers in Parents Magazine, 1926-2006.” Journal of Family Issues.