Positivism

What is positivism?

The positivist approach believes that society should be studied using techniques similar to those used in the natural sciences

What approach is positivism?

Top down approach - macro perspective

What does positivism focus on?

Studying society rather than individuals

What data does positivism prefer?

Quantitative data and research methods that collect numerical data

What type of research methods do positivists use?

Closed questionnaires, official statistics, structured interviews

What do positivists believe can be expressed through statistics?

Objective social facts about the social world

What is an example of these statistics?

Facts about who passes exams are no different to facts about ocean temperatures

What do positivists believe is unscientific?

To study peoples emotions and motives and instead behaviour should be observed, quantified, and interpreted

What do positivists believe can represent causal relationships?

Correlations

What is a causal relationship?

One thing causing another

What is an example of correlations and causal relationships?

Correlations can be high social class and high achievement in education and causal relationships can be poor income causing poor educational performance

What is an example of a positivist study?

Durkheim’s suicide study

What does this study examine and show?

He examined suicide rates in different groups in society and compared them to official statistics, with results showing that certain groups are more socially isolated and he found a causal relationship between 2 social facts

What causal relationship does the study show?

The more socially isolated the greater likelihood of suicide