6.1 - Theory & Research Methods Flashcards
What is positivism?
Influenced by the natural sciences and argues that we should treat people as objects whose behaviour can be observers and measured. There are social laws that determine the social actions of people.
What is the hypothetico-deductive approach?
Positivists make observations about the world which lead to hypotheses which are informed guesses about how and why social situations have come about.
Positivism and Patterns & Trends
People behave in patterned ways due to social structure. Trends in human behaviour can be seen and catalogued so human behaviour is very predictable. They take a ‘macro’ approach and examine the relationship between parts of the social structure to work out their effects on behaviour.
DURKHEIM - Study of Suicide
The suicide rate was a social fact because suicidal behaviour is by shaped by society.
RELIABILITY
Another sociologist is able to repeat the research and obtain very similar results. It aims to to verify the scientific accuracy of the way the data is gathered.
OBJECTIVITY
Sociologist should be neutral and not allow their personal views to affect the research method. They maintain this through sampling.
REPRESENTATIVENESS
Sample must be representative meaning that those in the sample have characteristics that are typical of the larger population, E.G. Same ratio of gender.
GENERALISABILITY
Sociologist can safely conclude that what is true of the sample is true of the wider population.
Why has Positivism dominated social research?
1) They remain objective and obtain ‘informed consent’ which is encouraged by the BSA.
2) The government fund positivist research because it allows for generalisations to be made which helps the government when making social policies.
3) Their techniques claim to be scientific which attracts prestige.
What is Interpretivism?
Rejects the view that humans can be treated like objects because objects are not comparable to humans because they are not conscious or self aware. Objects also cannot interpret their surroundings and choose to behave in particular ways.
Interpretivism - Meanings & Experiences
Reject that behaviour is deferents and shaped by social laws. Society is socially constructed through 2 ways;
1) people choose to come together to interact in groups.
2) these people give the interaction the same meaning.
ATKINSON - Coroners & Suicide
Durkheim’s study of suicide failed to recognise that suicide statistics are socially constructed by coroners. This is because coroners interact with the friends and family of the deceased to interpret the dead person’s actions.
VERSTEHEN
Sociologists develop an empathetic understanding to explain social actions.
RESEARCHER IMPOSITION
When the researcher only focuses on what they think is important and neglect what the research subject really thinks.
ETHNOGRAPHY
The researcher goes out and talks to people while they are doing what they usually do in order to understand social behaviour and the organisation of society.
