Theory and Methods Flashcards
Who believes that sociology is a science?
Positivists/ modernists
Comte - sociology being a science
Comte deems the institution as a scientific way of approaching studying the social world
Positivists belief of sociology being a science
They seek to establish a cause and effect relationship by using experimental methods as it allows to test a hypothesis in a systematic and controlled way. They believe the research should undergo inductive reasoning and verificationism
Luke’s- sociology as a science
Sociology creates social facts and scientific facts.
Inductive reasoning
accumulating data and patterns in research
verificationism
verifying a theory when there is enough data to prove it true.
Who believes that sociology is not a science?
Interpretivists
Interpretivists belief of sociology being a science
Believe science studies unconscious things and topics but sociology studies conscious things and so scientific methods can’t be used to make sense of the world around and attach meaning to things
Who believes sociology is not a science but could be
Popper, Kuhn, Realists
Popper- sociology being a science
Believes science uses falsification and sets out to disprove things. Sociology has too many falsified arguments, but if something cannot be falsified it is the best version of the truth which sociology lacks.
Kuhn- sociology being a science
Believe sociology is not a single paradigm following science ( provides principles and methods that people in the scientific community can work from and follow), Sociology can’t be a science as there isn’t an agreed paradigm that all sociologists work from
Realists
Believe sociology isn’t a science but some aspects of society can be studied scientifically. There are open and closed systems of science. Sociology is an open system, however the underlying structures in society can be measured to observe the effects they have.
Who believes the argument of if sociology is a science isn’t relevant and explanation
Postmodernists believe society is too fragmented and chaotic to find an absolute truth. Science is another version of the truth and so it is all objective.
Who believes that sociology should be objective and value free
Comte and Durkheim
Comte and Durkheim- sociology being subjective
Believe in the creation of a better society through progressivism, sharing modernist views. Believe that mimicking the enlightenment would make sociology appear to be respectable and academic discipline.
Modernist beliefs of sociology being objective
Believe sociology is a science and the objective is to find out how society functions which would allow human life to be improved (enlightenment). Believe sociology should be value free.
Who believes sociology should use values in their research
Interpretivists
Weber- sociology being objective
Believes that values do and should have a presence in research rather than being value free like modernists believe
Value Laden meaning
Values making up a part of research
4 factors of Value Laden
.Values as a guide to research
.Data collection and hypothesis testing
.Values in interpretation of data
.Values and sociologist as a citizen
Values as a guide to research
A sociologists values guides them in which areas of society they choose to study. (e.g feminists and the patriarchy)
Data collection and hypothesis testing
It would be unethical to use values within research as it becomes biased and may result in false data being retrieved.
Values in the interpretation of data
A sociologists interpretation of data and their theoretical position can determine what conclusions are drawn away from data
Values and the sociologist as a citizen
A sociologist should be morally accountable for how their research is used after studying, and not ‘hide behind their research’.
Committed sociologists view of objective sociology
Believe that values should make up a part of research and want their research to better society. Believe the values should be instilled in different ways: through the funding body or on behalf of society.
Gouldner- values as a part of sociological research
Believe it is impossible for research to be value free:
.Impossible because a sociologists values are bound to be reflected in their work
.Undesirable as a sociologist should have meaning behind their work and not just have it at the disposal of others or a ‘highest bidder’
AO3 of Gouldner
He criticises the romantisation of an underdog, and believes a marxist approach should be applied to unmask the powerful position people maintain.
Myrdal- Values as a part of sociological research
Sociologists should take sides, and removing their values from research is neither desirable or possible.
Becker- Values as a part of sociological research
Believes that sociologists always take sides within their research, He argues that traditionally sociologists take the side of the powerful. He argues that sociologists should take the side of the ‘underdog’ rather than the powerful and rich. This is supported by Goffman who believes sociologists should seek to achieve verstehen.
2 factors of the AO3 of values as a part of sociological research
.Considering funding bodies
.Relativism and Postmodernism
Considering funding bodies- AO3 of values as a part of sociological research
Believes that a funders values become a part of a sociologists research as they fund the research. Governmental bodies are able to control the relevance and influence of research as they can control when it’s published. Seen as the conservative government published the Black Report on a bank holiday to reduce its audience. Sociologists also want to further their careers and so would choose popular topics as to increase their audience and the successfulness of their research. May also censor their research as to save their career and not damage it.
Relativism and Postmodernism- AO3 of values as a part of sociological research
Relativists believe that there are plural truths within society where neither is more credible than another. Similarly, post modernists believe that no perspective has a special claim and all should be considered to be true.
