In sociological research and theory, the concepts of 'explanandum' and 'explanans' are pivotal in the structuring of explanations. These terms derive from the Latin verb "explanare," meaning "to explain." They provide a framework for understanding the components of scientific explanations and are essential in distinguishing between what is being explained and what is doing the explaining.

Defining Explanandum and Explanans

Explanandum: The term 'explanandum' refers to the phenomenon or event that needs explanation. It is the specific observation or social fact that has aroused the sociologist's curiosity and requires a theoretical or empirical explanation. For instance, in the study of social phenomena like crime rates, the explanandum would be the observed crime rate itself or a specific pattern within that rate.

Explanans: In contrast, 'explanans' comprises the factors, variables, or theoretical constructs that provide the explanation for the explanandum. It encompasses the causal mechanisms, underlying principles, or conditions that account for why the explanandum occurs. Continuing with the previous example, the explanans might include various socio-economic factors, such as poverty, education, or unemployment, that are hypothesized to influence crime rates.

The Structure of Sociological Explanation

A robust sociological explanation is built on the relationship between explanandum and explanans. This relationship can be understood through several models, including deductive-nomological (D-N) models, inductive-statistical (I-S) models, and causal mechanism