Theorizing And Observation Flashcards
Who are the founding fathers of sociology
Marx
Weber
Durkheim
Bourdieu
The theory that aims to explain society as a whole is referred to as
The grand theory
Why shouldn’t the conflict, symbolic interaction and structure functionalism be used to refer to ,mark, Weber and Durkheim theories
These are theories that were created after the theories mark, Durkheim and Weber came up with,
Although their theories may relate to some of them but they never explicitly stated that is a conflict or functionalist view, they just introduced their theories
It is fiction
What is the relationship between methodological pluralism and and sociology
Sociology involves the use of different methods, which garner different results
Differentiate methodological pluralism and theoretical pluralism
Use of different methods
No agreement on the best theoretical framework to explain observations
How is sociology a theoretically plural field
There is no one agreement about what theory gives the best explanation
Difference between theoretical understanding in biology vs sociology
Sociology does not have has a one size fits all theory that everyone subscribes to
It is more like a different point of view, i agree, I don’t, about the best way to understand a concept
While biology there is a single theoretical framework that the understanding of existence is through evolution, by natural and sexual selection, so what ever research done it makes reference to that concept and understanding
What did Quine, two dogmas of empiricism say about all observations
All observations are theory laden
If we can observe a phenomenon and document it why do we need to come up with a theory, since we can always just study it, to know and understand what it is?
Because our observations are influenced buy theories that already exist
So what ever fact we have seen or know, it has already been theorized
How does the chess picture on the slides illustrate how all observations are theory laden
We all see the picture and think ohh that’s a chess board
But the chess board is just a symbol, of it self it means nothing, if you don not know that that’s actually a chess board
We have already been influenced by culture and experience to see that and think, thats a chess board
So my observation, familiarity and interpretation that it is a chessboard, is not because i see the object just for what it is, but also from what the culture has taught me that it is
In a different culture where someone has no idea what it might be, in that situation, it would only be seen as aboard with shades on it and wont mean anything to them
How are all observations interpretive
Because we may not recognize how our pre existing notion of what an object is, is affected by our familiarity of that object because of our experience and previous knowledge and for example a chess board but it is
It is interpretive because we don’t just see/ observe it as an object but we at the same time interpret it for what it is, i see the chess board and at the same time I think, ohh that’s a game
Simultaneously observing and understanding what it is which determines our interpretation of what that object is
It could even go beyond not just seeing is as chess, but if i was a player, seeing and understanding the moves, what the placement of the queen, king, bishop means on the board
How does observation differ in ethnography and other methods of analysis
Ethnography involves actually seeing the world and documenting what that phenomenon is about
Analyze—> create
While for other research methods like survey or qualitative questioning, it requires making an assumption first. To make the right questions to ask and the best methods to use to collect and analyze data, we have to think and assume what we think the results may be and therefore would determine the best method we use
Create—> analyze
You don’t just observe then think of what might happen, we think about what might happen then think about how best should we observe if what we suspect does happen or it doesn’t
Theses are decisions we make at the research design stage that have a massive impact the kind and how we collect data
Explain the example of how to approach research and observation through the survey design on the slide
Some survey questions the researcher decides to ask gender as male, female or prefer not to say
The research has already assumed that gender is constricted to those two types and therefore this would affect his survey results, and responses
While another research decides to us the survey question of what is your gender assigned as birth and what is your gender identity now. Here the responses gotten would provide a broader explanation of when that person filing the questionnaire is, the researcher assumes that gender is more fluid and a better way to understand responses is to address and clarify the gender of who fills the survey
So why is it important to recognize that when we make observations, they are theory laden and how does that affect our observation in research
It is important because as a researcher the assumptions we might make might influence our observations
Although theory does not allow us to completely understand the society completely free of our own assumptions
But theory replaces the unconscious assumptions we may make make because of our cultural influences and experience and make us observe something explicitly with assumptions we stated.
So from unconsciously anticipating how something is to clearly making an assumption and testing that assumption you thought can be observed or not
Why is it important to theorize
Allows researchers to fight and think about what are the assumptions i have been making based on my own bias
Allows researchers to face criticism from other people about why a they may choose to understand something a certain way
Assigns understanding to an observation
