Personal documents

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

Different types of documents can be used in sociological research; these can be written or in visual form, e.g letters, diaries and photographs.

Question 2

The Company She Keeps: an ethnography of girls’ friendships - Hey, 1997

Answer 2

Hey went to Eastford School and Crossfield to spend her time with girls studying them. One of her main sources of data was provided by the notes which girls wrote to each other in class. She collected a wide variety of these and was also given examples by sympathetic staff. Girls gave her examples of notes that had been saved for long periods of time; years in some cases. - Their interpretation could be checked by another researcher - reliable

Question 3

Gershuny

Answer 3

Gershuny researched weather men carrying out the more routine domestic activities in greater proportions than formerly, particularly when wives go out to work. To do this he analysed detailed diaries kept by respondents on a day-to-day and weekly basis. He also examined cross-cultural evidence from European and Canadian studies. - validity

Question 4

Skeggs

Answer 4

Skeggs