Positivism vs interpretivism

Question 1

interpretivists believe what about society?

Answer 1

it s ‘socially constructed’ and the product of two processes:
1- people choose to come together
2- those who take part give it the same meaning

Question 2

Who is Weber?

Answer 2

the founder of the interpretivist perspective

Question 3

Empathy

Answer 3

using your imagination to experience what another person experiences, to share their feelings and point of view (put yourself in their shoes)

Question 4

verstehen

Answer 4

meaning ‘understanding’ and as explained by Weber, involves having empathy with your research subjects

Question 5

rapport

Answer 5

a type of relationship characterised by trust, intimacy and easy communication

Question 6

positivists see society as …

Answer 6

the science of sociology

Question 7

validity

Answer 7

refers to research, and its findings give a true picture of what is being studied

Question 8

reliability

Answer 8

concept usually applied to the way the research or measurement processes is designed

Question 9

researcher imposition

Answer 9

interpretivists see validity as more important than objectivity. They suggest that positivists focus on reliability can lead to researcher imposition.

Question 10

ethnographic research

Answer 10

qualitative method for collecting data often used in the social and behavioral sciences.

Question 11

objectivity

Answer 11

means making assumptions, making interpretations based on facts which can be verified

Question 12

subjectivity

Answer 12

means making assumptions, making interpretations based on personal opinions

Question 13

triangulation

Answer 13

• draws things from different areas
• uses reliable and valid data

Question 14

methodological pluralism

Answer 14

• fuller picture
• combines methods
• survey with large sample
• interview with small sample