comparativism

Comparativism is an approach that studies phenomena by comparing them to others. It is a fundamental method used across many academic disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, political science, history, and linguistics. The core idea is that understanding something often requires examining its similarities and differences with related things. By observing patterns, variations, and unique characteristics across different cases, comparativists aim to develop broader theories, identify causal relationships, and explain why certain phenomena occur.

The process of comparison can involve looking at different societies, cultures, political systems, historical events, or languages. For example, a political scientist might compare different democratic systems to understand why some are more stable than others. An anthropologist might compare kinship structures in different cultures to identify universal aspects of human social organization. The effectiveness of comparativism relies on careful selection of cases and the development of appropriate criteria for comparison. It helps move beyond single-case studies to generate more generalizable knowledge.