Lesson 1 - Positivism

Question 1

Emile Durkheim- The rules of Sociological method (1895)

Answer 1

Follows the Positivist approach

• Social facts are values, customs, beliefs, and institutions of society that can be measured objectively and quantified.
• Correlations- can be calculated between facts to look for cause-and-effect relationships. They can also measure the relationship between two variables and the strength of that relationship.

-Causation- If there’s a strong correlation between 2 variables it could be deduced that one variable is causing the other variable to occur.

-Statistical data- by using quantitative research methods, therefore possible to count sets of observable social facts and to produce statistics.

Question 2

Types of research conducted by Positivist Sociologists

Answer 2

• Identify patterns and trends in data
• Make comparisons of data over time from one group/culture to another.
• Operationalise (small-scale trial run ) key variables and concepts
• Pilot studies
• Numerical data is favoured ; collect facts and figures as well as statistics
• Graphs and charts are used to look for comparison of data and key trends.

Question 3

Evaluations of Positivism

Answer 3

• (negative) +(positive)
• Social reality can not be studied in the same way as the natural world. Therefore laws of causation that occur in the natural world cannot be applied to the social world. Cautious of adopting Positivist methods because the behaviour we are measuring might not be valid.
• Humans have free will, placing them in a laboratory so that they can be tested is not the best way to understand society and human behaviour. They could be criticised for ignoring free will and relying on laboratory experiments as a research method.

+ Patterns and trends can be made and observed as well as compared in order to establish correlations and links between aspects of social structure and class/ behaviour. Uncover cause-effects of relationships, and establish social facts.

• Can be seen as a very clinical method of work.

Question 4

Positivists would favour the use of experiments

Answer 4

+ High degree of control over variables and setting scientific and objective cause and effect relationships between variables.

• Could be aware of experiment, lacks ecological validity.

Question 5

Positivists would advocate the use of correlations

Answer 5

+ Notice trends and patterns and can see the relationship between two variables, cause and effect relationship and draw conclusions.