Research methods and researching social inequalities Flashcards
How can a ‘theory’ be defined?
A model or framework which shapes what researchers expect to see and how sociologists interpret the data or evidence that they collect
How can ‘methods’ be defined?
The tools that sociologists use to collect data and how the social world is organised, how people behave and the way people view and interpret the world around them
What do positivists believe human behaviour is the product of?
Social laws or social facts which arise out of the way societies are socially organised or structured
How do positivists believe research should be carried out?
Research should be carried out under controlled conditions, as are experiments in labs- however sociologists rarely use labs but alternatively aim to achieve control through use of random sampling techniques and skilfully designed standardised and scientific measuring tools such as survey questionnaires and structured interview schedules
Why do positivists take a macro approach?
- they believe society is more important than the individual
- they see human/social behaviour as a product of social forces/laws over which people have little influence
- they therefore view people as puppets of society who behave in predictable ways
- positivists believe the job of sociologists is to uncover social laws and document trends
Who prefers positivist research methods?
Structural sociologists such as Functionalist and Marxists who are interested in large scale social processes
What is meant by value freedom or objectivity?
The sociologist should carry out research and interpret evidence with an open mind, setting aside their own prejudices, values and political and religious beliefs
Do positivists value subjectivity (personal views and values)?
No- they believe it undermines the reliability of research methods and results lack validity
Do positivists value representativeness?
Yes- makes it easy for researchers to generalise from their findings (to say that what is true of the researched group is also true of the wider group to which they belong)
Do positivists prefer Qual or Quant data?
Quantitative (statistical/ numerical data)- it has comparative value as it can be observed for patterns and trends- deduce ‘facts’ from human behaviour
What specific research methods are used a lot by positivists?
Social surveys which incorporate questionnaires and structured interviews, official statistics etc
What is meant by value freedom?
The notion that sociologists should be objective in research and that their subjective beliefs/attitudes should not bias how they organise their research or interpret the data they collect
What is objectivity?
The absence of bias or approaching research without any pre-conceived ideas
What is Validity?
Research findings give a true or authentic picture of what is being studied- it reflects reality
What is reliability?
A research tool is reliable if another sociologist can use it and obtain the same results
What is representativeness?
Relates to the sample of people who agree to take part in research. If the sample is representative, it means they are a good cross-section of the wider population in which the sociologists are interested
What is meant by ethical?
A set of principles of conduct that govern the behaviour of individuals/groups- usually based on our morals. In soc, ethics inform researchers on how to conduct research in a morally acceptable way
What does can do can’t do with participants stand for?
Consent
Deception
C
Debrief
Withdraw (right to)
Protection from harm
What does practical mean?
How time/cost efficient and experiment is, if resources are needed- how easy is it to access them etc
What position does Interpretivism take?
Anti-positivism- it rejects the idea that social laws shape human behaviour
What approach do interpretivists take?
A micro approach- they believe the individual is more important than society- they suggest that society is the product of individuals interacting with each other in social groups
Why do interpretivists disagree with the idea that society is predictable?
They observe that humans have consciousness and free will so can therefore choose how they want to behave
What is subjectivity?
Appreciation of how the world looks from the point of view of those being studied
What is verstehen?
It is to walk in somebody else’s shoes- to see life from their point of view and to get inside the heads of those they are researching in order to document how they interpret reality
Why do interpretivists emphasise validity rather than reliability?
They believe that unique and trusting relationships should be established with those being studied so that a true and authentic picture of their lives can be constructed even if such relationships can be difficult to replicate
What is reflexivity?
The process by which sociologists periodically review the degree of objectivity that they’ve achieved, their rapport with their research subjects and the way they have collected and processed their data in order to ensure methodological integrity
What is respondent validation?
The observer cross-checking their interpretation of a particular situation with those who are being researched to make sure that researcher and researched agree on what was happening
What is ethnography?
This means that the research should be naturalistic and conducted whenever possible in the everyday environment
What is researcher imposition?
If the research tool undermines the validity of the data
What do interpretivists believe about positivist research methods such as questionnaires and unstructured interviews?
They are alien and artificial and consequently people may feel threatened by them and be tempted to give false or ingenuous answers
What do interpretivist research methods include?
Involve minimal interference with the everyday natural environment of the research subject, e.g. unstructured interviews resemble informal conversation and in participant observation the researcher is like a fly on the wall
What can be said about Qualitative data?
It regarded as richer in detail and validity than statistical data. It is usually presented as words (non-numerical) e.g. interview transcript
How does Durkheim use the positivist view?
He studied suicide statistics across Europe and found they remain constant over time, concluding that suicide rates aren’t the product of individual free will but was a social law/ fact caused by the social organisation of society- how well/badly it promotes social integration
What does Atkinson (Representing the interpretivist view) say about suicide stats?
Atkinson said that suicide stats are socially constructed by coroners, who investigate suspicious deaths, interpret and categorise some as suicides using their subjective experiences of past deaths.
How does Atkinson criticise Durkheim’s suicide stats study?
Says it fails to recognise the subjective factors that contribute to coroners reaching a suicide verdict e.g. interaction between dead and family before death, chosen means of death, interaction between coroner and family of deceased
What are the 4 main factors which influence the choice of research topic?
- interests/values of researcher
- current debates in the academic world
- funding
- access to research subjects (e.g. criminals tend to be unco-operative)
What are practical factors that influence the choice of research method?
- cost and funding (questionnaires and secondary data are cheap)
- time available
- participants required (some groups reject sociological research- too powerful e.g. police)
- the subject matter of the research (e.g. sensitive topics like discrimination could be researched using questionnaires- anonymous and confidential or female SA victims may be more comfortable with female researchers)
