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Causal mechanism and explanation in social science

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  • Mayntz, Renate

Abstract

In the social sciences, the development of a specific social event or structure is often explained by a statistical correlation between an independent variable and a variable assumed to be dependent upon it. This mode of explanation is contested by a methodology of causal reconstruction that operates with the concept of mechanisms. A mechanism is a process in which a set of linked steps leads from initial conditions to an outcome or effect. Mechanisms are general concepts, subjecting individual cases to a general category. Except for the literature dealing specifically with the concept, the term 'mechanism' is often used without definition of its substantive content; there is no agreement with respect to the unique or plural character of the initial conditions, nor to the structure of the causal path leading to a specific outcome. Nevertheless, mechanisms have played a crucial role in detailed causal analysis of complex historical events, such as the financial crisis of 2008 and German unification of 1989.

Suggested Citation

  • Mayntz, Renate, 2020. "Causal mechanism and explanation in social science," MPIfG Discussion Paper 20/7, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgd:207
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Renate Mayntz, 2016. "Process tracing, abstraction, and varieties of cognitive interest," New Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 484-488, September.
    2. Mayntz, Renate, 1994. "Deutsche Forschung im Einigungsprozeß: Die Transformation der Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR 1989 bis 1992," Schriften aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung Köln, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, volume 17, number 17.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    causal reconstruction; finance crisis; German unification; mechanism; deutsche Vereinigung; Finanzkrise; kausale Rekonstruktion; Mechanismen;
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