1 - General Research Orientations Flashcards
definitions
specify what key terms in the theory mean
descriptions
outline the characteristics of the phenomena of interest
relational statements
connect two or more variables; can be deterministic or probabilistic
deterministic statements
two variables always go together in a particular way
probabalistic statements
two variables go together with some degree of regularity, but the relationship is not inevitable
theories of middle range
more limited in scope, can be tested directly by gathering empirical evidence
grand theories
general, abstract, include theories like symbolic interactionism; offer few direct indications of how to collect evidence to test them
grounded theory
deriving theories from qualitative data
positivism
affirms importance of following the natural sciences in research and theorizing. empiricism, deduction, induction, value free
positivism acquiring negative connotations
early 1960s, certain researchers in positivist tradition ignored some fundamental differences between human beings and the often inanimate or not fully conscious entities studied by natural scientists
interpretivism
grew out of the epistemological critique of positivism, maintains that it is the role of social scientists to grasp the subjective meanings of people’s actions
founder of symbolic interactionism
george herbert mead
objectivism
there is such a thing as social reality, and it is the job of social scientists to discover what that reality is
constructionist
there are no facts, only interpretations (Nietzsche). no objective social reality against which our conceptions and views of the world may be tested
soft constructionist
there may be an objective social reality, but many of our ideas do not reflect it: instead these ideas are constructed to justify or rationalize various forms of domination
