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
How doestheorizing allow us to understand our observations
1,2,2,55,6666,8990000.
These are random numbers but by theorizing the researcher is able to understand what method can i used to provide better understanding of what this numbers observed represent
For example use a mean or a mode
The study of the nature of existence, what exist is known as
Ontology
What are ontological assumptions and give an example
Assumptions about what exist, the nature of existence
For example a biological determines, gender essentialist understand that the existence of gender is based of sex, how you were born
While gender via socialization may see gender as socialization, our interactions, it is culturally defined through socialization
What are are the points about gender and how are these ontological
Gender essentialist point that gender was solely based of your biology, inherent experience of being a man or woman
This is is an ontological view point where gender is understood as being an inherit characteristic defined from birth
This is an assumption about what gender is, a thought that people think or believe explains what it is to be a man or woman
While gender socialization is the view point that gender is attached to the experience of being human through culture. To be a man or woman is not inherently assigned to us by birth but cultural interpretation of what gender is
This also a different ontological assumption made to understand what gender is, they gender is experienced and learnt through interaction and culture
What does the statement all theories make ontological assumptions mean
All theories are not exactly true or false, they are thoughts people may create to understand why an observation may exist
In order to theorize or give an explanation to a phenomenon it requires to first make assumption of how you think it may work
Questions that try to understand, why we know the things we know, evidence that supports why we think something is right or wrong is regarded as
Epistemological assumptions
What does epistemological thoughts involve
What methods do we use to provide the best explanation of an observation or pohenomona
How do we know that the method is the best, which of the observations are the most important
What type of observations are important and which ones ones aren’t
How does methodological pluralism have a relation to epistemological assumptions
Methodological pluralism- elicits that the different methods are used by sociologist to theorize different observations and phenomena
So epistemological theories are trying to understand what the best methods are, why should we decide to use this method over another one, why should we disregard this and consider a different method , because different methods used determines the result and illustrates different aspects of social realists differently
Debates that revolve around TRYING AND HOW to understand
what the society is and its influences on human existence,
how to understand the nature of social structure and institutions people are embedded
the history of society and the content of culture is what sociological approch to theorizing
Epistemological
To theorize observations involve two methods called what
Categorization
Processes
What’s impact does categorization have on understanding observations
Categorization although may not be the best method to understand the society because there are often concerns about how they came to be and what justifies a certain item placed in a category over another
But, categorization is allows theorist to create an understanding of the world in a simplified manner by group similarities in certain items over another
Also when studying previous categorizations, it allows to see what the different form of inequality that exist between these categories
How is creating processes a means to theorize observations
Processes allows the understanding of the relationship between categories
Those categories created how were they created, why were they created, what led to these observations and what impacts have such categories made
These all help to understand and organize our observations into a theory
What are advantages of a good theory
Encourages researchers to interrogate their own assumptions
encourages fair criticism
Organizes observation, so they can be understood currently
