Topic 1 and 2: Science and Values

Question 1

Do positivists see sociology as a science?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

What do positivists mean by objective factual reality?

Answer 2

applying the logic and methods of sciences to the study of society will gain true and objective knowledge

Question 3

by studying sociology like a science what do positivists say it allows us to do?

Answer 3

we will gain objective knowledge

Question 4

What do positivists mean by inductive reasoning?

Answer 4

• we accumulate data and evidence to prove a theory correct, we assume it is the same elsewhere
• eg black swan

Question 5

what do positivists mean by verificationism?

Answer 5

it is the process of proving our theory correct, we can verify our theory

Question 6

what does it mean if a sociologist describes themselves as a positivist?

Answer 6

• prefer quantitative methods
• believe sociology is a science
• want objective data
• want reliable and representative data

Question 7

which is a positivist study example?what were the social facts that determined the rates of suicide?

Answer 7

• durkheims study of suicide
• the social facts are the levels of integration and regulation

Question 8

what did durkheim observe in his study of suicide?

Answer 8

official statistics of suicide rates of catholics and protestants

Question 9

do interpretivists see sociology as a science?

Answer 9

No

Question 10

why don’t interpretivists see sociology as a science?

Answer 10

• natural science is matter without consciousness, which is different to sociology
• research cannot be objective
• believe individuals are not puppets manipulated by external social facts, we have consciousness and don’t respond to stimuli

Question 11

what are the 2 types of interpretivists?

Answer 11

• interactionists (eg Becker, Jacobson and rosenthal)
• phenomenologists and ethnomethodologists

Question 12

what is the interpretivist view of suicide?

Answer 12

• suicide stats are socially constructed and qualitative methods can’t truly explain it

Question 13

what is the feminist view of sociology being a science?

Answer 13

• science is male dominated and patriarchal
• science cannot capture the experiences of women
• prefer qualitative methods to truly understand women

Question 14

are feminists qualitative or quantitative?

Answer 14

qualitative

Question 15

what is the postmodernist view of sociology being a science?

Answer 15

• against it being a science
• science is a meta-narrative and is one big story
• science is a form of domination

Question 16

Popper is a philosophist, what is their view of sociology being a science?

Answer 16

• sociology is unscientific because it consists of theories that cannot be put to the test with the possibility that it might be falsified
• sociology is not a science because you can’t prove it wrong

Question 17

what is thomas kuhns idea of sociology not being a science?

Answer 17

• science is governed by paradigms, sociology is pre-paradigmatic
• for sociology to be a science it must be governed by paradigms, but he argues it is pre-paradigmatic and is not a science

Question 18

Kuhn is a philosophist, what is their view of sociology being a science?

Answer 18

• sociology is a pre-paradigmatic
• sociology can be seen as a science is basic disagreements were resolved

Question 19

What does weber argue about studying sociology like a science?

Answer 19

humans too complex and unpredictable to test scientifically

Question 20

Comte is an interpretivist, what does he argue?

Answer 20

sociology can copy the methods of the natural science, aim for data is objective and reliable and use qualitative methods

Question 21

does comte favour interpretivism or positivism?

Answer 21

postivism

Question 22

define falsification?

Answer 22

• trying to disprove knowledge claims
• an idea by Popper

Question 23

what is a paradigm?

Answer 23

• a shared framework of basic assumptions within which to work

Question 24

define value freedom?

Answer 24

the idea that values should be kept out of research process

Question 25

is weber an interpretivist or positivist?

Answer 25

interpretivist

Question 26

What does Weber argue about science and values?

Answer 26

values are important when deciding what to research but whilst conducting research sociologists should be 'value free' - therefore sociologists must be explicit about their values - we have to do research into things we care about and values are a part of how we collect research

Question 27

give an example of a research where values were involved?

Answer 27

oakley her values and experiences as a mother got involved

Question 28

What does Myrdal argue about sociologists and research?

Answer 28

- sociologists should spell out their values and openly take sides - it is not possible to keep values out of research

Question 29

does myrdal think research should be value free?

Answer 29

no it is not possible

Question 30

What does Becker argue about values and science?

Answer 30

- values are always present - instead of seeing things from the perspective of the over dog, we should see things from the perspective of the underdog

Question 31

does becker think research should be value free?

Answer 31

no values are always present

Question 32

are durkheim and comte positivists?

Answer 32

yes

Question 33

according to positivists, through verificationism, we can develop what?

Answer 33

positivists believe through verifications we can develop a theory that helps to explain a social phenomenon, we can verify this through future observations

Question 34

according to positivists, how are social facts verified?

Answer 34

social facts can be verified through inductive logic

Question 35

by analysing data, what do positivists hope to find?

Answer 35

positivists seek to discover cause and effect that determine behaviour

Question 36

give an example of sociology being a science?

Answer 36

durkheims study of suicide, he measured the relationship between suicide and integration and regulation