Questions 10 Flashcards
Outline and explain two advantages of choosing overt participant observation as a source of data compared with covert participant observation
One advantage- overt participation enbales data to be recorded openly which leads to greater validity where as with covert participations this would be dangerous and affect the results specifically if there is studies based on sensitive information which would lead to data that lacked validity and important information as it cant be recorded . This issue does not arise with overt observations and so the data is likley to eb more valid
- Another advantage is that overt POs are more ethically sound because participants are aware that data is being recorded and are less likely to withdraw 9( CONSENT) where as with covert po informed consent has not been collected and participants and more likely to withdraw. suggesting that the data from covert pos may go unpublished and the researcher may waste time and resources
2) Outline and explain two practical disadvantages of using documents in sociological research
One practical advantage is.. sociologists are referring to secondary forms of research that already exists such as diaries , historical records or the census. This type of method can be costly due to the fact that research is obtained by secondary sources and researches may have to pay in order to gain access to the ie private firms and organisations for example Thomas and Znaniecki study purchased 764 letters autobiographies following an advert they placed requesting them in a Polish newspaper in Chicago. Although this provided rich and potentially valid data, it was a practical disadvantage in the sense that they could have conducted interviews or questionnaires much more cheaply to gain similar findings from their own sample
- Another .. Time , this is a disadvantage because documents are qualitative research which requires the researcher to spend time finding the documents and then finding valid and informative research.. Documents are often lengthy and difficult to obtain anyway for example tracking down personal documents. Furthermore it is difficult to code the information into useful information
3) Outline and explain two arguments that suggest functionalist theories may have little to contribute to an understanding of society today
One argument we have moved on from the traditional functionalist views on society specifically with the nuclear family ,. no longer the main family type suggesting that it is no longer valid and applicable to a 21s century thus indicating that functionalism is outdated. furthermore parsons argues that the family is a functional fit and can adapt to changing soicties but is undermined by willmott and young ..
Another argument .. according to postmodernists society no longer sgapes the individual for example background , age , socialisation matter much less this is because of consumer society and globalisation which enbales more opportnuties for individuals to shape their own identities in an active way
Outline and explain two ways in which structural theories of society differ from social action or interpretivist theories
One way … structural theories such as funct see society as able to shape behaviour where as social action argues that it is the individual and human agency and action which creates the soicety we live in .. furthermore interactionalists argues that people are not controlled by the relations of production as marxs would suggest or pattern variables as funct suggest but by relationships and in creating and responding to labels giving is real and enduring consequences. It is the individuals which create the structure
Another way … methodologies used by structural and intreprevitivists also reflect their differences for example structural theorists like funct and marx see society as having an external reality of its own and therfore is an objective entity this can be seen through durkeheim study where he highlighte the use of social facts where as interpretivist prefer to use methods that provide meaning
8) Outline and explain two arguments for the view that sociology is a science
One argument that sociology is a science .. positivists such as Durkheim would argue that sociology is a science because there can be ways of undercovering human behaviour as seen in his study of le suicide and sociology can meet scientific criteria eg sociology is objectivity , value free , finds generalisations and trends uses an inductive approach , quantitative methods , aims to obtain facts about phenomena which all concluded the idea that sociology is a science. Furthermore studies such as .. confirm that sociology can be seen as a science for example john migrams research of obedience and authority illustrates the use of objectiveness and quantitative methods ie lab experiments,,
Another argument that suggests that sociology is a science can be seen using the realists perspective sayer argues that science can operate under closed and open systems .Closed systems are variables which can be controlled where as open systems are those where all variables cannot be controlled but predictions can still be made this links to sociology because sociology can operate under more open systems which according to Bhaskar and urray show that sociology is similar to science thus suggesting that sociology is a science
Outline and explain two advantages of using quantitative (statistical) data in sociological research
One advantage - one advantage of using quantitative data is that it is more reliable which means that research can be repeated more than once and still obtain more than one result this is because quantitative data aims to look at trends and correlations from numerical data which makes it easier to make generalisations and repeat research to find trends much easier and effectivley. Furthermore this is an adv because it means that researchers can be more representative because they can gather data from large samples
Another adv - quantitative data produces objectivity. this means that research will have fewer biases and have less influence from researcher Charteristics which means that accurate data is more likely to be produced rather than data gathered from other methods such as qualitative data. Furthermore quantitative data is an adv because it can revel data that cannot be revealed using other methods for example the census would not be able to take place as quickly and effectivley using qualitative methods suggesting that quantitative data has many adva
Outline and explain two arguments that suggest society may have moved from beyond modernity to a new stage of postmodernity
One argument- that we have moved from beyond modernity to a new stage of postmodernity is that .. due to the rise in globalisation and new media technologies we are more free to construct our identity that they once were. However giddens a modernity argues that we have not moved / lived in a postmodern society
Another argument is that .. we have moved towards a consumer society this means that people now consume things and leisure activities .. furthermore postmodernists argues that we live in a pick and mix society
Outline and explain two reasons why positivist research methods may not provide a valid or true understanding of society
One reason why … because positivist research emphasises the use of numerical quantitative data which focuses on objectivity and value freedom this means that this type of method takes an detached approach in interpretating research and responding to interviewees. This is because positivists aim to avoid interview bias which means that verstehen( empathy) cannot be gained and validity( a true picture) cannot be obtained and the researcher cannot gain a full understanding of society . Furthermore the focus on value freedom means that positivist may not provide a valid understanding of society because wider background information is ignored thus there research acks a true valid view of society
Another reason is because positivists methods may not provide a valid or true understanding of society is because.. positivists aim to look at society as a whole through generalisations and patterns in order to find out what shapes human behaviour, this means that positivist don’t get a true( valid) picture of society because they ignore individualism and how everyone’s experiences and trends in society are different. Furthermore research methods such as surveys and official statistics are often manipulated to make things look better than they actually are for example unemployment stats and crime stats thus not painting a true picture of society
9) Outline and explain two advantages of using quantitative (statistical) data in sociological research
one advantage is that it produces reliable data. This means that research could be done multiple times and still produce the same result. This makes it easier when looking at society as a whole because comparisons and generalisations can easily be obtained. This can be seen in Durkehim’s study of Le suicide where the use of quantitative date allowed him to make compaissons of the levels of suicide as time goes on and er the divorce rate, the higher the suicide rate, thus allowing him to theorise that lower levels of social integration lead to higher rates of suicide (because of increased anomie). Furthermore because the data..
- Another advantage, is that it enables a greater level of detachment from the research this is known as value freedom. This means that the researchers personal opinions , beliefs and feelings are kept out of the research process so that data collected is is not influenced by the personal biases of the researcher. This is an advantage because it means that data is kept reliable and .. Furthermore this is an advantage because it means that research is done quicker and sources such as official statistics can be interpreted freely with little bias.
13) Outline and explain two ways in which sociologists may contribute to the understanding of a society’s social problems
One way sociologists contribute to the understanding of societies social problems ..
Another way..
12) Outline and explain two arguments for the view that sociological research should not be value-free
One argument- Value freedom refers to the idea that sociologists/researchers do not allow there own personal views and biases to intervene with there research/ study’s. Interpretivists would argue that sociological research should not be value free because some sociologists see this as unsociological. Sociologists such as interpretivist Gomm argue that research will always have moral implications thus suggesting that value freedom is impossible and sociologists should always aim to interpret research in order to find.. Furthermore, Gouldner sates that sociology being value free is also impossible sociological values are needed in order to guide reaserch
Another argument-
Outline and explain two ways in which a sociologist’s subjective beliefs and values may influence sociological research
Outline and explain two reasons why positivist research methods may not provide a valid (or true) understanding of society
One way - positivist researchers
are interested in looking at society as a whole in order to make generalisations and find trends. This means that they tend to favour the use of qualitative data which takes place in a numerical form. This provides reliable data in the fomr of stats , surveys and structured interviews, but fails to paint a valid picture because this type of method lacks depth unlike interpretivits methods such a obseravtions , unstructured inetrveiws etc this paints a more
Another way-
7) Outline and explain two reasons why positivist sociologists suggest the methods and procedures of the natural sciences should be applied to the study of society
