Theories & methods- Methods Flashcards
What is primary date
Information collected by sociologists themselves for there own porpoises. Social surveys, participant observations, experiments.
Pros-They can collect precise information they needs to test there hypothesis.
Cons- Can be costly and time consuming
What is secondary date
Information they has been collected or created by someone else for there own porpoises but others can use it. Official statistics, documents. Quantitive/ qualitative
pros- Quick and cheap way to get information as someone else has already collected it.
Cons- Those who collect it may not be interested as what you want the data for. Not providing the exact information you need.
Whats is Quantitive data
pros and cons of primary quantitative data.
Date in numerical form. e.g. percentage of marriages than end in divorce.
pros- Cheap, no involvement with people, resalable produces statistical data.
Cons- depends on the category chocs by the sociologist and how they interpreter it. Describing whats being studied not explaining it.
What is Qualitative data
non numerical often comes from pictures or words. gives feel for whats something is like. e.g. what it feels like for a marriage to end in a divorce.
Pros- flexible, does not require a large sample, collection and interpretation of non-verbal cues
cons- time consuming interpretations limited based on experiences
Positivists
-Functionalist (Durkheim) like quantitate data like statistics generated by government. Macro approach top down (how society impacts the individual)
-Measurable object in society. Our behaviours are shaped by society.
-Aim of studying is to find the underlying reasons for these behaviours.
-Use data to identify general patterns and trends in behaviour, from which they produce cause-and-effect explanations like those in the natural sciences.
Interpretative
-Interactionalists (Becker) like qualitative data like unstructured interviews with open ended response. Micro approach bottom down (individual impact society)
-No objective social reality, just the subjective meaning that people give to events
-Aim of research is to uncover actors’ meanings or worldview.
-Allows them to gain understanding by experiencing the group’s lifestyle for themselves, or by allowing individuals to explain their worldview in their own words, without the sociologist imposing their own views.
What factors impact the choice of research methods
practical issues
How easy it is to access those being studied
Time and funding available
Availability of existing data
Values and beliefs of the researcher personal skills and characteristics of the researcher
What factors impact the choice of research methods
ethical issues
Does the reassure have harmful consequences, consents, Data represented accurately and truthfully
What factors impact the choice of research methods
Theoretical issues
-Positivism and interpretative use different research methods to investigate and collect information. Also impacts what is studied, the choice of research topic.
-Functionalists focus on how social institutions contribute to the maintenance of society as whole, and their role in contributing to social stability.
-Marxists more likely to emphasize inequality, conflict and division, and to investigate research topics which highlight these areas, and to emphasize class inequality rather than, for example, ethnicity and gender.
-Feminists concerned with the issues of gender inequality and this will guide their choice of research topic
surveys: Sampling Methods
Representative Sample: Small group reflecting the survey population. Issues: Too small or incomplete sampling frame.
Random Sampling- Every individual has an equal chance of selection (using random number tables).
Pros: No human bias.
Cons: May result in an unrepresentative sample.
Systematic Sampling- Select names at regular intervals from a list.
Pros: Ensures full coverage of sample area.
Cons: Small sample might be unrepresentative.
Stratified Random Sampling- Population grouped by characteristics; random sample from each group.
Pros: Represents all characteristics; minimizes errors.
Cons: Difficult to identify subgroups.
Key sampling techniques
Quota sampling- a non-probability sampling method that relies on the non-random selection of a predetermined number or proportion of units.
Multistage sampling- taking of samples in stages using smaller and smaller sampling units at each stage.
Snowball sampling- Researcher ask participants to give the others who they can interview
Types of questionnaires
Close ended– strength easy to quantify quick to compare, high in reliability. Weaknesses – lack validity, restrict responses, ambiguous questions is. 

Open ended– strength in-depth detailed information, high validity, answers are not restricted. Weaknesses – long drawnout answers, difficult to make comparisons, ambiguous question.
Self administrated (Distributed in person competed on the spot)– strengths – higher response rate lower research affects easier to answer personal questions. Weaknesses– time-consuming, generally small scale, maybe expensive.
Postal questionnaires – strengths large-scale relatively cheap Rose out interview a biased. Weaknesses – not being taken seriously low response rate cost.
Interview a presenn- (Face-to-face or on the phone) Strengths – higher response rate, relatively quick, builds a rapport with the respondent.
What are observations and nonparticipant what are the 3 stages involved
Participant observations involves research are joining the group or community to study their activities for a period of time.
Nonparticipant-Carried out Without the research at present. Reduce people being affected by the researcher. May happen if we groups are unwilling to participate.
Stages get in (Get to know the group fit in)
Staying in(Gaining trust knowing how much to involve yourself)
Getting out (Leaving the group without damaging relationships)
Types of interviews
Structured interviews – the interviewer asked a series of standardised questions. (Pros- easy to quantify and compare. Cons- Answers are influenced by the interviewer leading questions can lead to participants answering in particular way/ impose a responce (makes data non-valid)
Unstructured interviews has no set questions follow the line of conversation of the interviewee. (Pros- Allows the interviewer to develop a relationship of trust with the interviewee useful to Research sensitive topics produces more validator highly flexible. Cons- Time-consuming, training needed experience, Not representative of all participants some less likely to take part data harder to generalise hard to quantify)
Semistructured – they have a predetermined set of topics to cover but the questions followed a conversation directed by the interviewee
Secondary sources
Official statistics
Official statistics quantitive data gathered by the government.
Pros- evaluating social policies, data in a particular area, Allow comparison to be made. cover a large area more representative better generalised.
Cons- can’t be taken at face value socially constructed/ politically biased, issue with accuracy & completeness, stats based on a sample of the population may be less representative, Validity don’t always measure what they claim (Darkside of crime)
Crime secondary sources
-Do not show the full extent of crime in society
-The dark number (undiscovered and reported and recorded crimes.)
-One and four crimes reported to the police are recorded. Unreported crime
Health statistics secondary sources
Only people pursuing doctors they’re ill and a record of doctors decisions. Cause of death logistics may not be accurate doctor’s may misdiagnose patients. Not all sick people go to the doctors some people may go more 
Positive/ Interpretivistviews on secondary data
-Durkheim see secondary data as a valuable resource for sociology.
-They see society as a science
-Develop hypothesis using office statistics and social facts to discover the cause of behaviour and patterns
-Interpreter lack validity, do not represent social facts, socially constructed
-Maybe representing the labels people give to behaviours.
Two types of Documents
-Secondary source of qualitative data
-personal diaries, letter, photo express feelings and experiences
- interpretivist believe they can move social meaning and shape behaviour give an insight to individuals
-Public and historical secondary source both quantitative and qualitative data produced by government OFSTED, charities and organisations can be contemporary or historical. 
WHO
researching student’s
Difficulties- children have less status and power difficult to state their view openly especially if they contradict an adults. Teachers can influence pupiles their views may not be representative. structured interviews and questionares reinforce power difference as questions already decided by someone in power. pupiles vocab and thinking skills may be limited to an adults especially when talking about abstract ideas.
easy- Legally required to go to school sociologist know where to find there research target group
WHO
reasurching teachers
difficult- teachers are overworked so less cooperative. interviews/ questinared should be kept short less data. Goffman teachers skilled in impression management. manipulate the impression researchers. find it hard to get behind the public face. ‘frontstage’ ‘backstage’
easy- as professional teachers more sympathetic with educational research more likely to engage. teacher have power/ status in schools can control what information is researched. Teachers used to being observed by Ofsted willing to let a researcher do it
WHO
researching parents
Hard -not a homonymous group. gender, class, ethnicity impact there willingness to participate.
-MC better relationships with school leads to unrepresentative data.
-most parent child interactions are at home private setting therefore cannot be researched.
Easy-The benefits to there child impacts how likely they are to say yes.
WHAT
research in schools
difficulties- cost to obsess lots of different schools. difficulty to access data (data protection, security of building)
easy- use large scale servays national statistics. due to education being highly markatised lots of secondary information is readily available. Students legally have to be in school reasurcer knows where to find them
WHAT
research in classrooms
difficulties- young people may feel conscious so may conform to peer pressure in school. access to classrooms is controlled lost of gate keeping hard to obtain and maintain access for research. Difference in teacher, classroom, layout, noise, activities
easy-supervising pupiles while doing questoionares in class will prevent peers form influceing answers
