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Sociological Research Methods Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

What does sociological research methods set out to do?

A
  1. Gather data
  2. Established correlations
  3. Suggests, confirms or contradicts theories
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2
Q

What is subjective knowledge?

A

Based on the opinion of an individual and how they see things from their point of view

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3
Q

What is objective knowledge?

A

Based on characteristics of the object or thing being described and should be independent of personal experiences , opinions, wishes and biases of any individual

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4
Q

What is quantitive data?

A

Knowledge taking the form of statistics such as number of marriages and divorces

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5
Q

What is qualitative data?

A

Observations and descriptions of people or things in society such as people talking about their own lives

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6
Q

What are the two types of sources that data can come from?

A
  1. Primary

2. Secondary

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7
Q

What are some characteristics of primary data?

A
  • Collected by the researchers themselves
  • Observations, interviews, surveys
  • Helps collect specific info
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8
Q

What is wrong with primary data?

A
  • Time consuming

- Expensive

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9
Q

What are some characteristics of secondary data?

A
  • Information collected by other sociologists
  • Radio, internet, TV
  • Documents, personal letters and diaries
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10
Q

What 4 things do sociologists look at to make sure their research is to the highest quality?

A
  1. Reliability
  2. Validity
  3. Representativeness
  4. Objectivity
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11
Q

What is reliability?

A

If the same research is repeated by a different sociologist it should produce the same results

Easy to repair and produce similar findings = greater reliability

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12
Q

What type of study has great reliability?

A

Questionnaires

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13
Q

What is more reliable?

Quantitive or qualitative data

A

Quantitive

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14
Q

What is validity?

A

How far it gives a true picture of the subject being studied

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15
Q

What study is very valid?

A

Observational studies

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16
Q

What is representativeness?

A

Does the sample of people chosen for the research reflect a society or group

If if it not representative it can not be generalised to whole groups in society

Large number or groups = representative

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17
Q

What is objectivity?

A

To ensure that the researchers own values and beliefs have not had an impact or influence on carrying out the research

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18
Q

What happens if a researchers values intrude on research?

A

It will impact the validity

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19
Q

What is positivism?

A
  • Sociology studied as a study
  • uses quantitative data
  • World is full of social facts expressed statistics and correlations
  • human behaviour shaped by external environment
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20
Q

What is interpretivism?

A
  • Sociology focuses on meaning and motives of individuals
  • Uses qualitative data
  • human behaviour is shaped by internal stimuli
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21
Q

What is Durkheims study of suicide?

A
  • He studied the suicide statistics in European countries
  • Found the Protestant had a higher rate of suicide than Jews or catholics - Married people more than single people -Parents rather childless people
  • Those living in times of peace and stability rather than war
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22
Q

Why did Durkheim identify as the 2 key factors in suicide?

A
  1. A persons level of integration

2. Their level of regulation

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23
Q

What is integration?

A
  • The extent to which someone feels part of their community, family or society
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24
Q

What is regulation?

A

The extent to which a persons behaviour is determined and ruled by others

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25
Q

What 4 types of suicide did Durkheim come up with?

A
  1. Egoistic
  2. Altruistic
  3. Fatalistic
  4. Anomic
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26
Q

What types of suicide are based on the relationship with regulation?

A

Fatalistic and anomic

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27
Q

What types of suicide are based on their relationship with integration?

A

Egoistic and altruistic

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28
Q

What is egoistic suicide?

A
  • To little integration into society

- Does not feel part of community

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29
Q

What is altruistic suicide?

A
  • Too much integration into society

- Feeling responsible for other people

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30
Q

What is fatalistic suicide?

A
  • Too much regulation

- Lacking control ( prisoners)

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31
Q

What is anomic suicide?

A
  • Not enough regulation

- Lack of normality in a rapidly changing society

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32
Q

What did Douglaus say about the study of suicide?

A
  • Critical of Durkheim
  • Criticised the use of stats
  • Decision to decide death as suicide is made by a coroner
  • Depends in on available evidence and is influenced by other people such as the family of the deceased
  • If a person if well integrated into society their family and friends are more likely to deny the possibility of suicide
  • Suicide can have different meanings in different cultures
33
Q

What is Steve Taylor’s study on suicide?

A
  • Studied death by train
  • A number of factors made suicide verdict more likely
  • People who had mental health issues and who had suffered from social failure or disgrace were more likely to receive the suicide verdict
  • The verdict is strongly influenced by witnesses stated in the deceased state of mind
34
Q

What are some practical issues of a sociological study?

A

Money
Time
Access

35
Q

What are some ethical issues of sociological studies?

A
  • Consent
  • Effects on the people being studied
  • Confidentiality
  • Effects in wider society
  • Issues of legality and immorality
36
Q

What is triangulation?

A
  • The use of both qualitative and quantitive data

- Improves validity and reliability

37
Q

What is methodology?

A
  • ethical constraints
  • theoretical constraints
  • practical constraints
38
Q

What do feminists sociologists study?

A
  • The position of women in society

- Seek to uncover patriarchy

39
Q

What do Marxist sociologists study?

A
  • How a small minority or people exploit the vast majority so successfully
  • Seek to study power, concentration or power and wealth and social class divisions
40
Q

What do functionalist sociologists study?

A
  • That there is a consensus between people and groups
  • Seek to study how society maintains agreement
  • Focuses in values, beliefs systems and socialisation
41
Q

What is random sampling?

A

Every sampling unit has an equal chance of being chosen

42
Q

What is an advantage of random sampling?

A
  • Most representative
43
Q

What is a disadvantage of random sampling?

A
  • Needs a large sample to make sure it is statistically likely to representative
44
Q

What is quota sampling?

A

Determines how many people of a particular characteristic are studied

45
Q

What is an advantage of quota sampling?

A
  • Can he conducted without the use of a sampling frame
46
Q

What is a disadvantage of quota sampling?

A

Accessibility of potential respondents affects their chances or being included in the sample

47
Q

What is snowball sampling?

A

A member of a sample puts a researcher in touch with other potential members of the sample

48
Q

What is an advantage of snowball sampling?

A

Used to mainly identify groups who are hard to access

Eg: Criminals

49
Q

What is an disadvantage of snowball sampling?

A

Based upon people who have contact with one another

50
Q

What is self- selecting sampling?

A

Let people know they are conducting a study and they then decide they want to take part

51
Q

What is an advantage of self-selecting sampling?

A
  • Quick

- Do not have to worry about consent

52
Q

What is a disadvantage of self-selecting sampling?

A

Might not be representative

53
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A 
Population is divided into groups according to variables such as class or gender.
From this the sample is chosen.
54
Q

What is an advantage of stratified sampling?

A

Can be confident that the sample is representative

55
Q

What is a disadvantage of stratified sampling?

A

Can only happen if you have a sampling frame which contains details of characteristics of the population you are studying

56
Q

What are case studies?

A
  • A detailed study of one particular group or organisation

- Studies are usually extremely detailed and provide depth info that is not usually available

57
Q

What are the issues with case studies?

A
  • May not be representative because people know they are being studied and could therefore change their behaviour
58
Q

Why are case studies used?

A

They help develop new ideas and theories to test in the future

59
Q

What are experiments?

A
  • Variables are closely controlled
  • Isolate effects of IV on DV
  • A control and experiment are compared
60
Q

Why are experiments not used as much in sociology?

A
  • impossible to create real life in an artificial way
  • ethical problems
  • experimenter effect
  • cannot study long-term or major social change
61
Q

What is comparative research?

A
  • Comparing differences across groups or societies over time
  • Identify a particular social practice
  • Valuable and reliable
62
Q

What are questionnaires used for?

A
  • To collect large amounts of data quickly

- Keeps identity of pps secret

63
Q

What type of sociologist favour questionnaires?

A

Positivist

64
Q

What are the different types of questions in questionnaires?

A

Open-Ended

Closed

65
Q

What are open ended questions?

A

Pps can write whatever they chose to

66
Q

What are closed questions?

A

Pps given a restricted range of options for their answer

67
Q

What are the 4 different ways to administer questionnaires?

A

Face to face
Telephone
Postal
Internet

68
Q

What are some advantages of questionnaires?

A
  • Easy to collect data quickly
  • Not necessary for researcher to be present
  • Easy to analyse data
  • Keeps pps identity secret
  • Can give consent
  • Should reflect real differences between people
  • Can help produce new theories
69
Q

What are some disadvantages of questionnaires?

A
  • Expensive

- Different interpretations of the Q’s depending on the pps

70
Q

What are the different types of interviews?

A

Structured
Unstructured
Partly structured

71
Q

What is a structured interview?

A

Pre set questions

72
Q

What is a partly structured interview?

A

List of topics to be covered

73
Q

What is a unstructured interview?

A

No fixed questions

74
Q

What is coding?

A
  • If you want to analyse data systematically or produce statistics you will need to decide on a number categories run to which you can place the answers.
75
Q

What are the advantages of interviews?

A
  • Flexible
  • Guaranteed anonymity
  • Can study past, present or future behaviour, feelings, opinions and attitudes
76
Q

What are the disadvantages of interviews?

A
  • Interviewer bias

- Careful to avoid sensitive topics that can cause psychological harm

77
Q

Why do sociologists use secondary sources?

A
  • Saves time and money
  • Includes data past the means of the sociologist
  • Allows the studies of past societies
  • Subject contains illegal activities
  • If the researcher is unable to collect data first hand
78
Q

What are the limitations with using secondary sources?

A
  • Bias from source creator
  • Official stats only shed positive light on activities
  • May not include relevant info needed for sociologist
  • May contain errors
  • May use categories that are not relevant witty theories
79
Q

What types of secondary data are there?

A
  • Previous sociological research
  • Official publications
  • Diaries and letters
  • Novels
  • family histories
  • Media
  • Documents

Sociology (3 decks)

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