Sociological methods Flashcards
Where do sociologists get data from?
- Primary - 1st hand research eg interviews
2. Secondary - eg stats
What are the three aims that sociologists have when collecting and using data?
- Validity and reliability (reproducible)
- Representative (generalisable)
- Objective and unbiased
What are the two types of data?
- Quantitative - numbers and stats
2. Qualitative - opinions, meanings, interpretations
What type of methods do positivists use?
Reliable methods that give quantitative data
What do positivists behaviour is influenced by?
External social factors
How do positivists view sociology?
It should be scientific and analyse social facts
What sources do positivists use?
Questionnaires and official stats which are objective and reliable
What methods do interpretivists use?
They use valid methods that give qualitative data
How do interpretivists understand human behaviour?
Through empathy by putting yourself in other people’s shoes
What criticism do interpretivists have of positivists?
Sociology isn’t scientific because humans can’t be measured
What methods do interpretativists use to collect qualitative data?
Participant observations and unstructured interviews
What is Max Weber’s concept of ‘Verstehen’?
It’s important to use empathy to get inside a person’s head to figure out why they’re doing what they’re doing
What is macrosociology?
Looking at the institutions of society (used by positivists)
What is microsociology?
Looking at the individual (interpretivists)
What does theoretical background affect?
Your choice of method
How does Positivism explain behaviour?
Behaviour is determined by social forces beyond people’s control
How does Interpretivism explain behaviour?
People make sense of social situations during human interaction
What do positivist say the aim of sociology is?
It should discover what causes what
What do Interpretivists say the aim of sociology is?
It should describe and explain how people make sense of situations using empathy
What research methods do Positivists use?
Questionnaires and structured interviews that give quantitative data and they’re reliable and objective
What research methods do Interpretivists use?
Observations and unstructured interviews giving qualitative data and a more valid insight into society
What four ethical factors affect choice of method?
Consent, confidentiality, avoidance of harm and avoidance of deception
With a sensitive issue what research method is the researcher likely to use?
Informative/unstructured interviews to put the person at ease
What practical factors affect choice of method?
Time–Money–Characteristics of skill–Access to opportunity
What are three factors to consider when choosing a topic for research?
Topic based on their own preference and knowledge.
Funding and cooperation for research.
The researchers career in sociology.
Reviewing methodology in previous studies.
What does OPERATIONALISE mean?
Making a concept workable and finding a way to measure it.
What is triangulation?
Combining methods of data to get a more detailed picture, putting together the strenghts of each type of data
What is a sample?
A group of the population that are representative.
What does it mean if the population is homogenous?
They are all the same
What does it mean if the population is heterogeneous?
The population is all different
What is a simple random sample?
Picking names randomly and everyone has an equal chance of being selected?
What is a stratified sample?
Dividing the population into groups and make a random selection with the right proportions
What is a snowball sample?
Finding an initial contact and getting them to give you more names
What is a Quota sample?
It is picking people who fit into a certain category
What is a pilot study?
Small scale practice run to check and see the technical problems in your research design
What is a social survey?
It a survey that collects information about a large population using standardised questionnaires or structured interviews
What are the strengths of a longitudinal survey?
- You can analyse change and make comparisons over time
2. You can study how the attitudes of the sample change with time.
What are the limitations of longitudinal studies?
- Hard to recruit committed sample
- Hard to keep contact (reduces validity)
- Long-term funding needed to keep research team together
- Reliant on interviews & questionnaires (may not be valid or reliable)
What kind of data do questionnaires mostly give?
Quantitative
What kind of questions do questionnaires mostly use?
Closed questions, multiple-choice answers
What aspect of data do standardised questions increase?
Reliability
What kind of data do open-ended questions give you?
Qualitative
What 5 things should questionnaires do?
- Clear simple questions
- Clear instructions
- Clear layout
- Range of options
- Measure what you want to measure
What should questionnaires not do?
- Ask embarrassing, threatening or complex questions
- Ask two questions instead of one
- Be too long
- Use jargon
- Lead the respondent to answer in a particular way
What are 5 strengths of questionnaires?
- Quick, cheap and far-reaching
- Reliable (standardised)
- Analysable with computers
- No interviewer effect
- Spot patterns and make comparisons
What are 5 limitations of questionnaires?
- Lying
- Ambiguous questions
- Low response rate to postal (unrepresentative)
- Open-ended qs can’t be quantified
- No one to explain
Give some examples of topics questionnaires can be used for
TV viewing habits, purchasing habits, voting behaviour, experiences of crime
What is the British Crime Survey?
A continual government survey of 50,000 a year with annual published results
What is the British Social Attitudes Survey?
An annual survey of 3300 adults (random) carried out by the National Centre for Social Research
Who are the two participants in an interview?
A researcher and a responder
What are the 5 elements involved in preparing an interview?
- Pick sample
- Organise interview
- Select/train interviewers
- Ask questions
- Record answers
What can get in the way at each stage of preparing and conducting an interview?
Bias
What is an interview effect?
When a response is given which isn’t what the interviewee really thinks
What can an interview effect be caused by?
The gender, age, class, personality or opinions of the interviewer
What kind of data are produced by structured interviews?
Quantitative
What kind of data are produced by unstructured interviews?
Qualitative
Give 7 characteristics of structured interviews
- Standardised, multiple-choice questions
- Quantitative and reliable
- Large-scale surveys
- Interview can explain
- Higher response rate than questionnaire
- More expensive (pay for interviewers)
- Interviewer has to follow list
Give 7 characteristics of unstructured interviews
- Informal
- Good for sensitive issues
- Open-ended and qualitative
- Skilled interviewer needed
- Smaller samples (unrepresentative)
- Lots of interviewer effects
- Long time to write up
What does ethnography study?
The way of life of a group
Ethnography is based on small-scale fieldwork so tends to yield what kind of data?
Qualitative
What makes ethnographical research valid?
It’s done in a natural setting
Name two methods you can use to get primary data in ethnography
- Unstructured interviews
2. Observation of community
What are case studies?
In-depth studies of particular events like demonstrations
What is time budgeting, and is it quantitative or qualitative?
Asking people to keep a detailed diary of their activities during a specific time. Quantitative and qualitative
What kind of data are diaries and letters?
Secondary
What is a limitation of small-scale research?
Hard to make generalisations
What is observation?
Watching behaviour in real-life settings
In what kind of observation does the researcher not tell the group they are being observed?
Covert
When do the British Sociological Association advise that covert observation should be used?
When there’s no other way
Name the sociologist and year for the covert observation into the National Front
Fielding (1993)
What kind of observation is when a group is aware of the research and the researcher?
Overt
Name the sociologist and year for the overt observation of female sexuality among college students
Skeggs (1991)
What kind of observation is when the researcher actively involves themselves in the group?
Participant
What kind of observation is when the researcher observes but isn’t part of a group?
Non-participant
Which ‘school’ of sociologists prefer observation and why?
Interpretivists, because they can get to the action
What are 4 positives of participant observation?
- Gets the researcher to the action
- Allows research of deviant groups
- First-hand insight in real-life settings
- If covert, people can’t mislead researcher
What are 7 negatives of participant observation?
- Over-involvement
- Over research may influence behaviour
- Covert observation may lead to illegal acts
- Lack of repeatability and reliability
- Ethnical and practical problems for getting in and out
- Small groups - unrepresentative
- Hard work, time-consuming, expensive
What is the main advantage of non-participant observation?
Objectivity
What are 3 disadvantages of non-participant observation?
- Stops you getting to the action
- Overt research may influence behaviour
- Covert research needs to be very inconspicuous
