research methods and understanding social inequalities Flashcards
what are social facts?
values, customs, beliefs and societies that can be measured objectively and can be quantified
what is a correlation?
it measures the relationship between two variables and the strength of that relationship eg. high levels of sunshine and feeling happy
what is causation?
if there is a strong correlation between two variables then it could be deduced that one is causing the other to occur. however, this could also be due to a third factor
how do positivist sociologists believe that sociology should be studied?
in a similar way to natural sciences by using lab tests and statistical data rather than subjective data (eg. opinions).
positivist sociologists would conduct research by…
- identifying patterns in data
- making comparisons in data
- large scale data collections
- operationalise key variables and concepts
- use quantitative data instead of qualitative
- pilot study
- graphs and charts with numerical data
state the disadvantages of positivism.
- cannot be studied in the same way that a natural science can
- positivists ignore the fact that humans have free will
- tends to ignore the subjective experience of individuals
- only focus on objective approach (dont take emotions or opinions into account)
- only focuses on numbers, facts and figures not meanings and interpretations
what is an advantage of using statistical data?
it relies on facts rather than opinions - which can be quite subjective. this makes statistics more reliable.
what is a problem of using statistical data?
the sample size of the data may not be known which could affect results. also, the people used for the research may only be from one demographic type which could lead to biased or unbalanced results. depth, meaning and reasoning are ignored.
what is an advantage of using experiments (lab and field)?
the controlled conditions of a lab allows researchers to isolate variables which may not be otherwise possible in the real world. this allows you to measure the exact effect.
what is value freedom?
the researchers keep their own values, opinions and beliefs to themselves, so that they don’t influence their research or study.
what is a disadvantage of using experiments (lab and field)?
it can lead to artificial situations which means that people behave unnaturally
what is an advantage of using correlations?
it allows researchers to determine the strength and direction of relationship which may make it easier for them to come to a final conclusion
what is a disadvantage of using correlations?
a third factor may be involved which could skew the results. an outside source could affect the correlation between two variables
who are the two sociologists associated with positivism?
comte & emile durkheim
what is positivism?
a method of study based on directly observable facts which can be objectively measured, from which it is possible to identify cause and effect relationships. uses quantitative data eg. statistics and facts
what is interpretivism?
interpretivists focus on qualitative, detailed data collection. the data is high quality and focuses on meanings, motives and interpretations, which would not involve numerical data.
is interpretivism a subjective or objective approach?
subjective - results is based on opinions and how participants think, feel and act
why is the interpretivism approach not reliable?
results are not easily replicated / duplicated with the same results, as it is subjective. this makes it not reliable.
what does verstehen mean?
(understanding) develop a rapport or good relationship with their participants so that qualitative and meaningful data can be collected
who do positivists criticise?
interpretivists
who do interpretivists oppose?
positivists
why do interpretivists believe that it is impossible to study cause and effect?
because human behaviour is unpredictable
why do interpretivists believe that it is important to gain a rapport?
it increases validity as you are able to measure the aim well and gain understanding (verstehen)
why do interpretivists aim to be reflective?
so that they can examine the extent to which participants behaviour during the research will change as a result of being investigated
what is reflexivity?
when the researcher stands back from research and considers it from their own perspective. they self search and examine their own assumptions and pre conceptions and how they affect their research.
why might verstehen not be possible in some situations?
some participants may not be able to build a good rapport with researchers due to differing personalities, which limits understanding (verstehen).
list the ten main stages of the research process.
- area of interest
- background research
- research question & hypothesis
- choice of research method(s)
- detailed planning of your research
- pilot study
- revise and amend methods
- conduct research
- analysis of results
- conclusions
state one advantage of using informal interviews.
high in validity as answers are more likely to be truthful. this is because it allows the sociologists to build up a rapport and a level of trust with the participant.
state one disadvantage of using informal interviews.
ethical issues. subjective interpretations from answers. could be biased as opinions and emotions involved.
what did dobash and dobash investigate?
domestic violence
who investigated the glasgow gangs?
james patrick
who investigated the tearoom trades (homosexuality)?
laud humphreys
who investigated the new wave girls and youth subcultures?
blackman
state the advantages of lab experiments.
- variables can be controlled, making it better than observations
- positivists would advocate their use as they are used in natural science and deemed reliable
state the disadvantages of lab experiments.
- expts not suitable for studying human behaviour
- setting is usually artificial, meaning less validity as people don’t act normally
- open for demand characteristics
complete the table.
state the disadvantages of field experiments.
- results can be inaccurate as there is less control
- hawthorne effect (demand characteristics) means that people are aware that they are being studied and alter their behaviour accordingly
- experimenter bias means that the characteristics of the researcher can affect the behaviour of the people taking part in the study
state the advantages of case studies.
- can be used to prove or disprove a hypothesis
- give new info and insights into a topic
state the disadvantages of case studies.
- can be limited and unrepresentative of general population
what is a lab experiment?
experiments conducted in a lab using scientific equipment in order to test a hypothesis. results are quantified by numbers which means that results are reliable.
what is a field experiment?
experiments conducted in a natural setting eg. classroom. behaviour can be studied with some form of control, but not as much as lab experiments.
what is a case study?
they examine one specific case. a life history of an individual is a good example.
what is an ethnographic study?
when you observe as a participant in their real life environment
give ethical considerations for collecting primary data.
- fully informed consent
- protection from harm
- respect of privacy
- safeguard confidentiality of data
- avoid deception
- awareness of consequences of publishing
what are the main sources of official statistical data?
government departments :
- department of education and skills
- home office
- social services
surveys :
- office for national statistics
- census
state the disadvantages of official statistics.
- might not be valid and might not be measuring what they intend to eg. annual crime statistics do not include unreported and unrecorded crime
- open to misuse and can be manipulated
- political bias to fit agenda as gvt collects and collates statistics
- can be misunderstood and misinterpreted, meaning becomes distorted and inaccurate
- numerical data lacks meaning so low in validity
- secondary data so can be costly to access
state the advantages of official statistics.
- usually readily available for access
- representative samples used and samples are large
- well planned, organised, detailed
- some are conducted regularly (high temporal validity)
- patterns and trends easy to identify
- can be used again and again, so research has multiple uses
what are non official statistics?
statistics that are not compiled or owned by the government but are collected by independent companies, researchers or academic institutions.
what are family histories?
method involves using recorded histories by those who have experienced past events. can take the form of recordings, film or photos.
what is previous sociological research?
rich sources of information collected by previous sociologists. can examine the research topic, aim and results and deicde to replicate the study or extend the research topic into a new area.
who provided guidelines to evaluate secondary sources?
john scott (1990)
what are the guidelines to assess secondary sources?
- authenticity
- credibility
- representativeness
- meaning