Notes: Ch 1 + 2 Flashcards
What is qualitative research?
The “how?” And “why? Of a study. The how’s and whys.
Note: standpoint, looking deeper, interviewing the actual people involved. Perhaps being one of them, hearing from them etc.
What as the differences between quantitative and qualitative research?
Quantitative research is focused on numbers, statistics and percentages. Example: HOW MANY homeless people are there?
Qualitative research goes into a deeper focus.
The “whys” of a situation.
Example: ok, now we know HOW many homeless people there are so now, WHY are they homeless?
Perhaps researching by interviewing homeless people and those to run and operate the shelters. Etc.
What is Positivism?
The scientific/empirical method applied to the social sciences.
Idea founded by Auguste Comte (18th century)
Who founded the idea that positivism could be applied to the social sciences?
Auguste Comte (18th century)
Auguste Comte came up with what method?
Positivism
What is Ethnography?
A method of research to gain an insider perspective in order to gain a ‘thick and naturalistic description of people and their culture’
Examples: When William Whyte visited an Italian slum by posing as the friend of someone who is an insider of that culture.
What is institutional ethnography?
A newish form of research method based on the theories of Dorothy Smith.
That an organization has two sides and both sides will have a different view.
One side ruling interests and the other side subordinates.
What is Standpoint theory?
Founded by feminist Dorothy smith.
That different answers and data will come from different people in sociology in a subjective way.
Objectivity is challenged that the researcher using objectivity is wrong because they are only seeing through their lens (according to Dorothy Smith and her times through the eyes of privileged white males)
Who founded Standpoint theory?
Dorothy Smith
What is quantitative research?
The “how many” statistics.
Percentages. Details of counts
Note: objective, scientific method positivism.
What is structural functionalism?
That society has structures and each structure performs a function to produce a social equilibrium
In structural functionalism what are the three functions?
- )Manifest function -intended result
- )Latent function - largely unintended or unrecognized
- )Latent dysfunction - unintended and produce negative social consequences.
In structural functionalism what are the three social facts?
1.) development of norm prior to individual (came before individual not invented by them)
2.) characteristics of a particular group
(Ex: men like sports and beer)
- Involvement of a constricting and coercing force
(Ex. Men, sports and “beer pressure”
Who founded structural functionalism?
Emile Durkheim
Emile Durkheim founded what?
Structural functionalism
Who founded conflict theory?
Karl Marx
Karl Marx founded what?
Conflict theory
Name the four Cs of Karl Marx’s conflict theory
- Conflict
- Class
- Contestation
- Change
Who were the bourgeoise?
The wealthy class Of capitalists that according to Marx exploit the proletariat.
Who were the proletariat?
The worker class that according to Marx were the class that was exploited by the bourgeoise
What is the difference between be bourgeoise and the proletariat?
The bourgeoise were the wealthy class (exploiters) and the proletariat were the working class (exploited)
According to Karl Marx
Who claims that society is always in conflict and going though change?
Karl Marx
How did Max Weber criticize Marx’s theory?
That societal conflict is not limited to class. Too much emphasis on class.
Conflict arises out of other things too such as ideas.
Did Karl Marx believe that conflict always exists in society?
Yes
Symbolic interactivism what is that?
MICRO-SOCIOLOGY
Where identity (self) is shaped though social surroundings. And social instructions and interaction
That social systems emerge from social interaction. (Education, family, friends, norms, labels etc)
George Herbert Mead came up with what?
Symbolic Interactivism
Who stressed subjectivity?
Erving Goffman
Who was Erving Goffman and what did he stress?
Subjectivity
What did Erving Goffman reject in sociology?
Research carried out through objective means and neutrality from an outsiders view.
Feminism was founded who? Two names.
Dorothy Smith and Harriet Martneau
Who founded standpoint theory?
Dorothy Smith
Dorothy Smith founded what?
Standpoint theory
What did Dorothy Smith reject?
Sociologys preference for objective research and analysis.
What is a way to describe standpoint theory?
Knowledge that is developed from a particular standpoint
Where does Feminism theory branch off from?
Conflict theory
What did Michael Foucault think of?
Where certain truths actual came from
What does Postmodern theory consider?
- Considers the concept of voice, or narratives
- many voices drowned out by others with more more. (Historically white heterosexual men from middle and upper class)
What is discourse?
- A way of describing a topic through a given set of assumptions, vocabulary, rules, images, logic etc.
- not necessarily false
What is totalitarian discourse?
A universal claim, truth,methodology discipline etc.
Discourse becomes totalitarian by people in positions of power and authority
What is archaeology of knowledge?
Method to uncover how knowledge about something (truth) was constructed though excavation of the related information
What question would Michel Foucault want you to ask?
“HOW do you know that?”
Who was Michael Foucault?
Founder of post-modern theory
Who founded post-modern theory?
Michael Foucault
Who wrote the ‘sociological imagination’?
C. Write Mills
Who wrote the ‘sociological imagination’?
C. Wright Mills
C. Wright Mills wrote what?
The sociological imagination
Who was the Arab scholar who was the first person to carry out a systematic study of sociological subjects?
Ibn Khaldun
Who was concerned in the 17th and 18th centrist regarding the rapid changes in Europe?
Thomas Malthus
