Theory and Methods Flashcards
Egotistic Suicide
Too Little Integration
Altruistic Suicide
Too Much Integration
Anomic Suicide
Too Little Regulation
Fatalistic Suicide
Too Much Regulation
Atkinson (Ethnomethodologist)
Cannot undercover deceased meanings - coroners interpretation
Douglas (Interactionist)
Meanings instead of causes - against stats - social construction - coroners define death
Not a science
Weber - Rationalisation, Verstehen, Meanings, Understandings
Popper - Falsification - Prove something wrong
Kuhn - Science as framed accepted concepts, sociology as competition between ideas and beliefs
Feminism - Science is male stream so reject it
Postmodernism - Whole debate is outdated and pointless - all knowledge is subjective
Science
Durkheim - Social Fact, Suicide
Keat and Urry - Similarities between sociology and science - Realism - Open System (Not all variables controlled) and Closed System (All variables controlled)
Value Freedom
Remove values from research
Value Laden
Instils values in research
Gouldner - Dishonest and Impossible to keep values out of research - understanding of overdogs helps benefits underdogs
Becker - Values always present - focus on underdogs instead of overdogs
Marx
Scientific, Objective Approach, But sees communism as ideal so difficulty in maintaining objectivity
Finds value in communism and fighting class inequality
Postmodernist Policy
Should help the poor and tackle crime
Reduce Inequality
eg: Sure Start
New Right Policy
Advocate Individualism
State shouldn’t control policy
Clause 28, Tax Breaks for Married Couples
Marxism Policy
Ruling Classes make policies that aid and serve capitalism
Maintain labour force
Welfare State makes capitalism seem fair
NHS, Welfare State, Pensions
Feminism
Liberal - Policies help reduce inequality
Radical - Advocate for separatism, Policies don’t do enough, Policies should tackle patriarchy
Equal Pay Act, Childcare Funding, Paternity Leave
Functionalism Policy
Quantitative Research Aids Policy
State should serve interests of society as a whole and its structure
NHS, Education System
