quantitative and qualitative data - new

Question 1

why do positivists like quantitative data

Answer 1

• establish trends and patterns of behaviour in society
• easier to do on a large scale as they can be done on large groups

Question 2

why do interpretivist like qualitative data

Answer 2

fits purpose of their research as they are trying to find meanings and motivations behind behaviour of groups
- not usually trying to generalise to population - based on small groups as they know it isn’t reliable

Question 3

name 4 quantitative methods

Answer 3

• experiments
• close question questionnaires
• opinion polls, surveys etc
• structured interviews
• non participant structured observations
• official statistics

Question 4

3 uses of quantitative data

Answer 4

• reporting social trends such as national statistics to inform policies and budget spending
• education - league tables, exam results
• opinion polls -brexit

Question 5

qualitative methods - name 4

Answer 5

participant observations
unstructured interviews
personal and historical docs
open question questionnaires
journals etc

Question 6

2 uses of qualitative data

Answer 6

• understanding peoples perceptions, motivations etc
• comparing viewpoints across time

Question 7

what is the name for a combination of methods to increase validity and reliability

Answer 7

methodological pluralism

Question 8

example of methodological pluralism

Answer 8

Paul Willis’s use of unstructured interviews, group interviews, questionaires and observations of behaviour

Question 9

why do interpretivist criticise lab studies

Answer 9

humans are fundamentally diff from rocks etc so diff to what natural scientists study
- our behaviour cannot be ‘caused’ by external factors so cannot be explained by cause and effect statements

Question 10

example of field experiment where no harm was done arguably

Answer 10

Wood et al sent job applications of same qualifications but diff ethnicities

Question 11

explain the term ‘research as rape’

Answer 11

how feminists describe structured interviews and questionaires because it reflects exploitative relationship in patriarchal society

• strict division of labour - interviewer has active role and interviewee has passive

Question 12

how to marxists see official statistics as performing ideological function
what is an evaluation of this

Answer 12

• politically sensitive data that reveals nature of capitalism will not be published
• change definitions to conceal reality of capitalism - eg, regularly changing def of unemployment

eval: lots of official statistics show nature between life expectancy and class

Question 13

3 distinctions of Anne oakley’s feminist approach

Answer 13

• value committed - women side and voice
• researchers involvement WITH not detchatment
• equality and collaboration to avoid hierarchy and control