Methods of Investigation

Question 1

What method of research did Paul Willis adopt when researching the lads?

Answer 1

Unstructured Interviews.

Question 2

What method of research did Labov adopt in his linguistic deprivation theory?

Answer 2

Unstructured Interviews.

Question 3

Why are Unstructured Interviews good for studying anti-school subcultures?

Answer 3

1. Kids in them might not want to talk
2. A rapport can be built
3. If school is a sensitive subject for them, the researcher doesn’t have to stay to a fixed questionnaire
4. There’s greater validity
5. Students would be away from peer pressure

Question 4

Why are Unstructured Interviews bad for studying anti-school subcultures?

Answer 4

1. Time consuming
2. Smaller samples
3. Data isn’t very representative
4. Hawthorne Effect/Lying/Social Desirability Effect
5. Qualitative data is collected, making it hard to make comparisons between other studies
6. Harder to reproduce data - less reliable

Question 5

Why is Covert Participant Observation good for studying labelling in schools?

Answer 5

1. Teachers often don’t realise when they label someone, so being a participant can give a greater insight into the nature of labelling
2. The teacher would be more cautious of labelling if they knew they were being studied, so by observing undercover, the researcher can get more valid data

Question 6

Why is Covert Participant Observation bad for studying labelling in schools?

Answer 6

1. Misleading teachers counts as deception, which is ethically incorrect
2. Access into a school would be challenging
3. Might become too familiar with the teacher and stop recognising labelling
4. Can’t be repeated
5. Less representative

Question 7

Why are Closed Questionnaires good for studying parental attitudes?

Answer 7

1. A large amount of data can be collected quickly
2. Results are more representative
3. Anonymity - truth will be told
4. Very reliable data, can be repeated with ease
5. Their reliability means attitudes can be measured over time

Question 8

Why are Closed Questionnaires bad for studying parental attitudes?

Answer 8

1. Participants can easily lie

2. They are closed questions and don’t paint the true picture of a persons attitudes - less valid data