Interpretivism

Question 1

Interpretivism:

Answer 1

• Focusing on meaning and experience
• Rejects the idea that human behaviour is predictable
• Human interpretations make characteristics and events ‘social’ or ‘meaningful’
• People aren’t puppets but ‘architects of society’

Question 2

Interpretivism: Atkinson

Answer 2

• Studied the work of coroners
• Found that suicide is socially constructed
• Suicide is the end result between victim, relative, friends and the coroner
• If suicide is suspected - the coroner looks for clues
• Relatives influence a decision by insisting that the victim wasn’t depressed
• Suicide is socially constructed by coroners as a result of their interactions

Question 3

verstehen: Weber

Answer 3

• Understanding individuals interpretations by having empathetic understanding helps sociologists explain social actions

Question 4

Interpretivism view of positivism:

Answer 4

Interpretivists don’t believe in the scientific approach and view validity as more important than reliability

Question 5

Interpretivism: Qualitative data

Answer 5

• Prefer qualitative data which represents the quality of the way of life of participants
• In the form of words
• Interpretivists research often includes direct quotes from participants which allows them to express their own experiences

Question 6

Interpretivism: Subjective experience

Answer 6

• Objectivity uncovers the subjective experience of their subjects
• E.g. How they interact with others and interpret the social reality that they find themselves in

Question 7

Interpretivism: Ethnographic

Answer 7

• Try to understand social behaviour and the organisation of societies and cultures by going out and talking to people wherever they are
• Insertion of sociologists into the everyday world and natural setting of the research subjects with minimal disturbance

Question 8

Interpretivism: Rapport

Answer 8

• Unique and trusting relationships should be established with the participants
• Helps construct a picture of their lives
• Ethnographic research helps construct a realistic picture of their lives

Question 9

Douglas:

Answer 9

• Disagrees with Durkheim
• Criticises official statistics
• Think official statistics are socially constructed
• OCS are not true or objective - they are just a figure based on the view of those that classify suicides (coroners)

Question 10

Positivists criticisms of interpretivism:

Answer 10

• Research is ‘bad science’ - due to unstructured and having limited control
• Researcher bias when they are part of the study (participant observation)
• Ethnographic research - not representative of other societies

Question 11

Reflexivity:

Answer 11

• keeping a research diary to document trials and tribulations of every stage of the research
• Forms of self-evaluation that involves researchers reflecting on how they have organised their research
• Documents how their role may have a positive or negative affect the validity of their findings

Question 12

Third-way:

Answer 12

• Not all researchers agree that there is a divide in the research world
• Many researchers acknowledge that social actions are a result of free will and structural constraints
• Rare to find an exclusive researcher - most use a combination

Question 13

Reflexivity examples:

Answer 13

• Power inequalities between researcher and participants
• Social context
• Mistakes made during the research
• Influence of the researchers social background