Positivism

define positivism

belief that society should be studied scientifically through objective, observable, measurable methods

what are the 2 key features of positivists approach

nature is made up of objective, observable, physical facts

society is an objective factual reality made of undiscovered social facts

what do they argue in relation to patterns, laws and inductive reasoning

reality is not random or chaotic but patterned and are observable through empirical patterns

define inductive reasoning

Building theories from specific observations

what does induction involve accumulating

accumulating data about the world through careful observations

fill the blanks

‘positivists believe that real laws are ________ that will explain these patterns and _________ how society works

discoverable

determine

define verificationism

where sociological theories are valid and can be empirically observed and repeated

name the methods positivists use

questionnaires

structured interviews

official statistics

what are the benefits of official statistics

avoids risk of influencing interviewees

produce reliable data

what did Durkheim study of suicide show

that suicide rates are determined by levels of social integration and regulation.