2.2 Asking And Answeing Sociological Questions: Historical Context

Question 1

Robert Park

Answer 1

Wanted to make social research more scientific. He thought theories should be based on the careful accumulation of evidence about people’s lives.

Following Park’s lead, sociologists conducted interviews and firsthand observations (ethnography) to see how community members lived.

Question 2

William Ogburn

Answer 2

Wanted to make social research more like the natural sciences by measuring things quantitatively. He believed sociologists could study anything that could be measured with numbers.

His goal was not to”to make the world a better place in which to live” but only to “discover new knowledge”