Realism

Question 1

What is triangulation?

Answer 1

The use of more than one method so that the strengths and weakness of another qualitative and quantitive data can be obtained (valid and reliable)

Question 2

Investigator triangulation

Answer 2

The use of more than 1 researcher to reduce bias

Question 3

Data triangulation

Answer 3

Collecting data from different place

Question 4

Methodological triangulation

Answer 4

Takes two forms

• Within method triangulation = different techniques within the same method e.g. open and closed questions
• Between-method triangulation = the use of different methods to obtain both qualitative and quantitive data e.g. interviews and closed questions

Question 5

Advantages

Answer 5

✓ Holistic view of the group/individual = full picture
✓ Strength of one method compensate for weakness
✓ Qualitative and qualitative
✓ Subjective and objective
✓ Micro and macro
✓ Meanings and motives
✓ Social facts

Question 6

Disadvantages

Answer 6

x Time consuming
x Expensive
x Researcher needs to be skilled, rapport and analysing facts
x Too much data to analyse

Question 7

Eileen Barker - Moonies

Answer 7

• Study of the unification church
• International religious organisation
• Run by Reverend Sun Myung Moon of South Korea
• It is described as a ‘cult’ and is criticised for ‘brainwashing’ young people into obedience of leader

Question 8

Sociological methods used - Moonies

Answer 8

• 42 page questionare (quantitive)
• Overt observation (qualitative)
• Unstructured interviews (qualitative)
• Allowed Barker to see on both a micro/macro scale
• Interviewed a random sample of 30 members from 6-8 hours
• Didn’t want covert observation, didn’t want to deceive
• 42 page questionare: compare Moonies with UK population (class, age, sex etc)

Question 9

Moonies: Outcomes of research

Answer 9

INFORM was set up to help families with children in the ‘Moonies’ cult so that people could obtain reliable information about religious groups

Question 10

What is a case study?

Answer 10

• An in depth study of an indivual or group, the aim is to uncover as much detail as possible
• Sociologists can use this to examine and illustrate general social process

Question 11

Paul Willis - ‘Learning to labour’

Answer 11

• In depth ethnography of 12 working class ‘lads’ (can’t generalise)
• Series of interviews
• Aim: discover how/why working class kids get working class jobs
• Opposition to academia
• Symbolic resistance = short lived

Question 12

Paul Willis - ‘Learning to labour’ - Advantages

Answer 12

• Valid and reliable
• Meaning’s and motives
• Gain verstehen
• Rapport
• Interpretavist

Question 13

Paul Willis - ‘Learning to labour’ - Disadvantages

Answer 13

• Time consuming
• Lacks reliability
• Micro (can’t generalise)
• Subjective
• Hard to analyse
• Unethical (didn’t report what he saw: graffiti)