Prelim - Notes: Research theory Flashcards
They believe that it is possible to gather information about the social world and classify it it in a way that makes sense.
Positivists and Empiricists
A positivist. He believed that scientific knowledge about society could be gathered and understood in order to improve human experience and the running of society.
Auguste Comte
He took a similar approach to his sociological understanding.
His ‘suicide’ is used as a model of positivist research.
Emile Durkheim
It reject quantitative or statistical research.
Believes that research cannot produce a casual explanation of human behavior.
Believes that all humans make sense of the world by imposing their own, unique and individual meanings.
Phenomenology
It originated with Glaser and Strauss. They did research between healthcare professionals and dying patients.
goes beyond phenomenology approach because it produces new knowledge which is used to develop new theories about a phenomenon.
It’s methodology is based on collection and analysis of data.
Example: grief process.
Grounded theory
An American sociological perspective, study of society.
Looks at how groups and society respond to meaning and classification.
Ethnomethodology
Does not believe that any form of statistical data can be used to give an insight into human behavior.
Believes that all individuals understand and experience their own life and world according to their own SELF-CONCEPT.
They research the role of “labelling” on individuals.
Symbolic interactionism
Advocates qualitative research over quantitative.
Believes that the basis of sociology is to interpret social action.
Interpretivist
Research should be used to make positive changes within society.
It views society as oppressive.
Critical social science
First approach- attack on “malestream” research, which feminists identify as any previous research conducted by men.
Second approach- Rejects traditional, scientific methods.
Last approach- they claim that the feminist research can be better understood through a feminist approach.
Feminists
Do not believe that any form of research can be regarded as impartial and sees the role of research as a tool in which to examine the social world and to take apart existing explanations of society.
Post modernists
