Interpretivism

Question 1

interpretivism

Answer 1

methodological approach based upon understanding interpretations and meanings people give to specific actions

Question 2

verstehen

Answer 2

empathy for subjects

Question 3

individuals with free will

Answer 3

society is constructed by decisions of individuals

Question 4

micro sociolgy

Answer 4

the meanings individuals prescribe to events rather than societies’ metanarrative

Question 5

favour qualitative data

Answer 5

subjective as individuals have their own opinions

Question 6

society cannot be studies scientifically

Answer 6

individuals are unique in their interpretations

Question 7

participant and non-participant observations

Answer 7

first-hand account of human behaviours which heightens understanding of groups experience

Question 8

secondary sources

Answer 8

personal/historical documents provide insight into lives of others

Question 9

open questionnaires and unstructured interviews

Answer 9

surveys gather written and verbal accounts of meanings and motivations of specific events

Question 10

strength: validity

Answer 10

uncover meanings and motivations as they probe deeper than the surface of social facts

Question 11

strength: qualitative

Answer 11

uncover hidden meanings where researchers are often MC and can understand views outside of their social class

Question 12

strength: champion underdog

Answer 12

provide a voice to those that often go neglected and unheard in other research and the media

Question 13

strength: hard-to-reach groups

Answer 13

gain insight into hard-to-reach groups e.g. deviant subcultures and oppressed women

Question 14

limitation - unreliable

Answer 14

difficult to replicate

Question 15

limitation - lacks ojectivity

Answer 15

researcher has too much influence in research, interpreting actions that fit into their theoretical position, aims or hypothesis

Question 16

limitation - unable to generalise

Answer 16

due to in-depth focus on atypical and small-scale nature of methods, unable to generalise wider population

Question 17

limitation - unscientific

Answer 17

difficult to falsify so often rejected for decision and policy making

Question 18

interpretivist view of sociology being a science

Answer 18

sociologists should be independent of government and the role is to act as a commentary on society

Question 19

WILLIS - learning to labour

Answer 19

interpretivist methodology to investigate educational experiences of WC school boys (‘laddish subcultures’)

Question 20

YOUNG

Answer 20

research into deviance amplification due to labelling and cracking down on marijuana users in Notting Hill leading to further deviance

Question 21

FULLER, MAC and GHAIL, ARCHER

Answer 21

interpretivist methods in education to examine impacts of education on different social groups