Positivism Flashcards
What is social phenomena?
Observable events or occurrences that are of interest to sociologists such as changes in marriage rates to interactions between individuals and groups. They can be analysed to better understand how society functions and how individuals are shaped by their social environment. Durkheim calls them social facts.
What do positivists look for?
As influenced by natural scientists:
- patterns
- not letting their opinions influence their research
- using closed-ended survey questions and statistics to spot patterns (quantative)
- they want to explain why things happen and how these might change in the future
What is the Hypodeductive method?
Phenomena
observations and ideas
reject or revise hypothesis - hypothesis
systematic observation and data collection
data collection
Data analysis
Refute hypothesis- test hypothesis
confirm hypothesis
theory - made up of confirmed by hypothesis - prediction of phenomena
What is positivism?
It is a macro approach focused on understanding society as a whole through social structures and systems rather than individual iterations. They assume society as an objective reality, independent of the individuals who comprise it as external factors influence their thoughts, feeling and actions. The top - down view places primary emphasis on macro - level social structures and institutions such as economy, education and legal system who influence how individuals act , think and interact. They see individuals as passive recipients as their behavior is determined by their position within the social structure and the norms and values imposed by society. Through social structures maintaining social control, there is an emphasis on the importance of conformity to social norms and values ensuring societal stability
Why are patterns not random?
They reveal underlying social forces and regularities that shape human behavior and societal structures to identify social facts (Durkheim) to explain crime rates, unemployment, educational attainment or pattern of social mobility allowing them to be measured and quantified
What happens after data is collected?
- Statistical analysis through correlation and regression analysis to identify relationships between different variables
- They establish casual relationships (if one variable directly influences another)
What are the positives of positivism?
- can demonstrate correlation between events
- produces more objective and scientific quantative data
- preferred by governments on social policy as it is on a macro scale
- reliable as results can be replicated and checked (falsification principle)
What are the negatives of positivism?
- lacks validity as it doesn’t explain why
- neglects the agency of individuals
- doesn’t reflect the fluidity and diversity of contemporary society
- doesn’t gain an insight into the lives of individuals
What is representativeness?
It is used by positivists to select a representative sample of the population as they have typical characteristics of the larger population such as the same ration of gender, age and ethnicity
Why do positivists believe their approach is the best?
It is the most effective to reach validity as their research is well - designed to present data in an authentic or valid picture of what is being investigated leading to the creation of a better society
