Positivism, interpretivism and sociological methods

Question 1

Positivism definition

Answer 1

an approach in sociology that believes society can be studied using similar scientific techniques to those used in natural sciences, such as physics, chemistry and biology

Question 2

Interpretivism definition

Answer 2

an approach emphasising that people have consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations, and these influence the way they act

Question 3

social facts definition

Answer 3

phenomena which exist outside individuals and independently of their minds, but which act upon them in ways which constrain and mould their behaviour (law, the family, education system etc)

Question 4

quantitative data definition

Answer 4

anything that can be expressed in statistical or numerical form or can be measured in some way, such as age, qualifications etc

Question 5

macro approach definition

Answer 5

one which focuses on large numbers of people and the large-scale structure of society as a whole, rather than on individuals

Question 6

Durkheim, a positivist, suggested that there are external social forces

Answer 6

which make up society’s structure and cause or mould ideas and actions, and Durkheim called these social facts

Question 7

Durkheim said the aim of sociology should be

Answer 7

to study social facts, which should be considered as objects which can be observed and measured, whereas feelings, emotions and motives cannot be measured so shouldn’t be studied

Question 8

Durkheim (1987) used a positivist approach in his study of suicide,

Answer 8

using suicide statistics to try and establish the social causes of suicide

Question 9

Methods favoured by positivists

Answer 9

• experiments
• the comparative method
• social surveys
• structured questionnaires
• formal/structured interviews
• non-participant observation

Question 10

Positivists think that research should

Answer 10

use quantitative data, be large-scale so its generalisable and be repeatable (reliable)

Question 11

Verstehen definition

Answer 11

the idea of understanding human behaviour by putting yourself in the position of those being studied, and trying to see things from their point of view

Question 12

Interpretivists believe that, as behaviour is influenced by interpretations and meanings which they give to situations,

Answer 12

a sociology researcher needs to understand these meanings, and should therefore use methods which provide verstehen

Question 13

Qualitative data definition

Answer 13

concerned with feelings and meanings people associate with and the interpretations they give to some even, and try to get at the way they really see things

Question 14

Micro approach definition

Answer 14

one which focuses on small groups and individuals, rather than on large numbers of people and the structure of society as a whole

Question 15

Atkinson (1978) interpretivist suicide study

Answer 15

involved an interpretivist approach which contrasted Durkheim and argued that suicide statistics are social constructions reflecting the behaviour and ideas of coroners, doctors, relatives etc and their definitions of suicide

Question 16

Methods associated with the interpretivist approach

Answer 16

• participant (sometimes non-participant) observation
• informal, in-depth, open-ended interviews
• open-ended questionnaires
• personal accounts (like using personal documents such as diaries or letters)

usually involving a micro approach and a smaller number of participants