COMPARATIVE METHOD

Question 1

What does the comparative method consist of?

Answer 1

• identify 2 groups of people that are alike in all major respects apart from one variable we are interested in
• compare the two groups to see if this 1 difference between them has any effect

Question 2

What data does the comparative method produce?

Answer 2

Secondary data-usually official statistics

Question 3

Example-Durkheims study of suicide (1987)

Answer 3

• hypothesis: low levels of integration of individuals -in social groups caused high rates of suicide(DIFFERENT RELIGIONS)
• believed protestants would have a higher level of suicide compared to Catholics
• hypothesis was proved TRUE

Question 4

Advantages of the comparative method

Answer 4

• avoids artificiality
• can be used to study past events
• poses no ethical problem (e.g. harming/deceiving)

Question 5

Disadvantages of the comparative method

Answer 5

-give researchers less control over variables than field-less certain whether a thought experiment discovered the cause of something