Comparative Method

Question 1

Define

Answer 1

Comparison of 2 or more societies or groups

Question 2

Practical

Answer 2

Highly practical

Very practical because it often uses secondary data (e.g., official statistics).
Relatively cheap and quick.

Different countries or time periods may collect data differently.

Question 3

Ethical

Answer 3

very ethical,

Often uses already published data.
No direct involvement with participants.

If comparing sensitive topics (e.g., crime, suicide), there may be issues around how data is interpreted or presented.

Question 4

Reliable

Answer 4

Fairly reliable

High reliability when using official statistics.
Data can be checked and re-analysed by other researchers.

Reliability depends on how consistently data was collected across societies.
Definitions (e.g., “crime”, “poverty”) may vary between countries.

Question 5

Validity

Answer 5

Limited validity

Can identify broad social patterns.
Useful for testing large-scale theories.

Official statistics may not reflect true behaviour (e.g., underreporting).
Lacks insight into individual meanings and motivations.

Question 6

Example

Answer 6

Durkenheim- study of sucidie

Compared official stats to his own findings to diffrent communities to identify social factors

Question 7

Representativeness

Answer 7

Highly representative at a large scale

Often uses national-level data.
Can cover whole populations.

May ignore minority experiences within countries.

Question 8

What would theorists feel on comparative method

Answer 8

Positivists strongly support
It uses quantitative data.
It identifies patterns
It is scientific

Interpretivists criticise
It ignores individual meanings and subjective experiences.
It treats social behaviour as measurable rather than meaningful.