2 - Social research strategies quantitative research + qualitative research

empiricism

approach to studying realisty

• experience and senses

goal of gaining “facts”

census

data of entire pop

social research methods as non neutral

relation to theory

might be done when specific opportunity arises

description

theory

explaenation for evetn / pattern that has been noticed

can refer to background literature

grand theories

abstract + limited use

theories of middle range

focus of empirical enquiry

naive empiricism

research that has no obvious connections with theory

deductive

theory as basis for research

• need for hypothesis

inductive process

theory as outcome

iteractive strategy

once researcher carried out some theoretical reflection o set of data > collected further data

abductive reasoning

starts with observation + tries to explain using the most likely explanation

working back and forth

positivism

epistemological position

use of natural science methods to study social reality and beyond

• confirmed by sences

• purpose of theory is to generate hypothesis > testing

• knowledge = facts that provide the basis for laws

• value free

• dif between scientific + normative

relativism

nature + social s should apply the same approach to colection data

external reality

• empirical realism

• critical realism

empirical realism

reality can be understood through thw use of methods

critical realism

recognise reality of antural order + events

• positivism does not directly reflect reality

• theoretical ideas that are not observable

interpretivism

contrasts with positivism

fundamental dif between people and objects of the natural sciences > distinct research methods

subjective exp of social action + verstehen

hermeneutics

key inf od interpretivism

theory + method associated with the experience of human action

ind acted on by social forces

phenomenology

symbolic interactionism

process of interpretation - reflexivity