The relationship between theory's and methods (feminism/positivism/interpretivism)

Question 1

What are our 3 theory’s?

Answer 1

Positivism
Interpretivism
Feminism

Question 2

What is positivism?

Answer 2

Structural

Question 3

What is interpretavism?

Answer 3

Social action

Question 4

What is feminism methodology?

Answer 4

feminism

Question 5

How do ontology epistemology and methodology impact each other?

Answer 5

How ontology impacts on epistemology which impacts on methodology

Question 6

What is ontology?

Answer 6

What is your reality of the world
Is it structural or action

Question 7

What is epistemology?

Answer 7

What kind of knowledge do we see
Is it objective facts or a subjective opinion

Question 8

What is methodology?

Answer 8

What procedure can we use to acquire knowledge/evidence
Is it quantitative- objective positivist
Is it qualitative- subjective interpretation

Question 9

Positivist- what are positivist?

Answer 9

They prefer macro
Uses scientifically and objective methods
-Society exist independently to individuals, its an external force thats observable, measurable and predictable, we are passive

Question 10

Positivist- what methods do they prefer?

Answer 10

Structured, quantitative methods and aim to get predictable and formulaic patterns in behaviour
-Look for a casual relationship and prefer value free, reliable, representative, large scale, quantifiable methodology

Question 11

Positivist- bottom up or top down?

Answer 11

Top down

Question 12

Example of positivist study?

Answer 12

Durkheim- le suicide

Question 13

Positivist- what are Durkheim’s category’s of suicide?

Answer 13

Fatalistic- people lose the will to live and therefore want do die as there’s nothing to live for e.g. prison- very high social control
-Anomic, no purpose in life- low social control
-Egoistic- Not integrated into society, selfish-
Altruistic- so willing to die for society so very highly integrated into society

Question 14

Positivist- Critics of Durkheim?

Answer 14

-Unethical, suicides a sensitive topic
-Unreliable, can’t operationalise its different for everyone
-Atkinson, coroners decide what suicide is, just socially constructed

Question 15

Interpretivists- what are interpretivists?

Answer 15

They are micro
-Society’s dependant on individuals so it’s subjective
-Reality’s created by individuals interactions and the meanings are
-Social worlds created by internal forces so unpredictable and changing so can’t objectively be measured and studies
-Individuals shape society

Question 16

Interpretivists- what method do they prefer?

Answer 16

Unstructured, qualitative methodology to uncover and interpret meanings behind behaviour and interactions
-look for meanings and validity, small scale indebt methodology
-Interested in experimental data to learn about experiences and motives about how they feel

Question 17

Interpretivists- is this bottom up or top down?

Answer 17

Bottom up

Question 18

What is feminist methodology?

Answer 18

It made important contributions to the way in which research is conducted and has offered an alternative to the dominance of positivism and interpretavism

Question 19

What do feminists believe about methodologies?

Answer 19

They have become male stream
Positivists- detach from participants, this can mirror the power relationship experienced by participants in everyday life

Question 20

Soft feminism methodology?- Jayaratne

Answer 20

Quantitative
Jayaratne argues if we treat these with caution they many be used to further the position of woman because statistics give a picture can make evidence for law to change

Question 21

Hard feminism methodology? Oakley?

Answer 21

Oakley advocates for a collaborative approach like qualitative methods
This is like unstructured interviewers so there is some informality

Question 22

Feminism- what is conscious partiality?

Answer 22

Value free eraser h replaced by conscious partially
Female researchers must identify with the women they study e.g. researcher characteristics

Question 23

Why should feminist research be action research?

Answer 23

The reasearch should actively take part in research for the woman liberation, not just a spectator

Question 24

Why do Marxist and ethnic minorities take a similar view to research as feminists?

Answer 24

They are all fighting against oppression

Question 25

Feminist- why should some sociologists believe research should not be value free?

Answer 25

More to society than being oppressed
Research should have had a purpose, liberation