Application of the Comparative Method from Social Science for Architectural History

건축역사연구(建築歷史硏究)를 위한 비교방법론(比較方法論)의 응용(應用)

For many social scientists, the comparative method has been a part of the common enterprise of describing, explaining, and developing theories about socio-cultural phenomena. However, it is rare that comparison has been methodologically considered in architectural history in spite of the usefulness for understanding the similarities and differences among architectural styles. This research emphasizes the importance of comparative methodology in architectural history and proposes an example which can be introduced from the comparative method for social studies. The application in this study is based on the assumption that an architectural phenomenon is a kind of social phenomenon and comparative method in social study can be applied to architectural history. The method is to generate and test hypotheses through establishing functional correlation between variables treated as the objective facts that differentiate one type of building from another.