Ross, Lauren N. (2021) What is social structural explanation? A causal account. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Social scientists appeal to various “structures” in their explanations including public policies, economic systems, and social hierarchies. Significant debate surrounds the explanatory relevance of these factors for various outcomes such as health, behavioral, and economic patterns. This paper provides a causal account of social structural explanation that is motivated by Haslanger (2016). This account suggests that one way that social structure is explanatory is in virtue of operating as a causal constraint, which is a causal factor with unique characteristics. A novel causal framework is provided for understanding these explanations–this addresses puzzles regarding the mysterious causal influence of social structure, how to understand its relation to individual choice, and what makes it more explanatory (and causally responsible) for various outcomes.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Ross, Lauren N. rossl@uci.edu
Keywords:	scientific explanation; causation; social science
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Sociology
Depositing User:	Lauren N. Ross
Date Deposited:	22 Oct 2021 04:25
Last Modified:	22 Oct 2021 04:25
Item ID:	19721
Subjects:	General Issues > Causation General Issues > Explanation Specific Sciences > Sociology
Date:	2021
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/19721

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