theory and methods

science definition

body of knowledge obtained by systematic and objective testing

socioligy definition

study of social behaviour

why are science and socioligy different

science is study of hard observable facts

sociology leans more towards interpretation of invisible phenomina

who belives sociology is a science

positivists (structural theorists)

whats positivsm

only real knowledge comes from what we can see, measure, and test through science and experience.

prefer quantative data

what do positivists look at

effects of society on an individual

what study did durkenheim do in relation to social facts

durkenheim: study suicide used a comparative method for casual relationships to see what social factors lead to suicide

how do positivists claim sociology is scientific

science is emprical,

durkenheim: real things in the social world that are observed and measured (social class and language)

science is objective, durkenheim says sociology can be value free thru using scientific methods

what is poppers critism of sociology as a science

science is unique, they try and falisfy work first, sociology therefore cannot be a science until it removes bias from its theories

what is khuns critism of sociology as a science

science is based on paradigms, sociology however disagrees on fundamental issues

what do interpretivists believe

sociology is not a science

science only deals with laws of cause and effect, not human meanings

what does knorr cetina believe

lab settings are artificial and therefore far removed from the natural world which scientists are supposedly studying

what is ethnomethodology

approach to understand the social order and rules that structure everyday life

analyzing the common sense methods people use to function in their daily lives

what does verstehen mean

weber, german for understand

understanding why people act the way they do by putting yourself in their shoes.

how can verstehen be related to science and sociology

woolgar: scientists must interpret what they see

douglas: in order to understand suicide, the researcher must undercover its individual meaning rather than imposing a formula

why do feminists disagree with scientific sociology

harding and hart

science is inadequite as it is malestream

what’s research design

overall plan to collect and analyse data

what’s a structured interview

pre-written, closed or fixed questions in the same order for every participant

what’s unstructured interview

guided conversation,

topics in mind but asks open-ended, flexible questions

example practical issues

time and cost

access to participants

skills of researcher

examples ethical issues

consent

privacy

safety

theoretical issues

Validity — Does the research give a true, in-depth picture?

Reliability

Representativeness

what’s overt research

researcher’s identity and purpose are openly known to the participants.

what’s covert research

researcher’s identity and purpose are hidden

what’s consenus theory

emphasize social order, stability, and cooperation

functionalism, organic analogy

social issues a disruption to harmony

what’s conflict theory

focus on power struggles and inequality through conflict

Marxism

social order is maintained by domination and coercion rather than agreement

what are structural theories

large scale social structures shape society

individuals as largely shaped or constrained by social institutions, roles, and norms

what’s social action theory

people’s behavior is guided by the meanings and intentions they attach to their action

what happens in modernity

emerged with the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution

Characterized by rationality and science

what’s post modernity

Emerged as a critique of modernity, globalisation

Characterized by skepticism about grand narratives, objective truth, and universal explanations

emphasises diversity and influence of media and technology

what is theory

framework or lens through which sociologists interpret social phenomena

what is methods

techniques or procedures used to collect and analyze data

what’s the relationship between theory and methods

cyclical: theory guides which methods to use, and the findings can support or challenge theory.

what’s social policy

government actions aimed at addressing social issues such as poverty, health care, education,

how does sociology relate to social policy

providing evidence based data (Sociology studies social structures and inequality)

evaluate policy outcomes (Sociology assesses how social policies work, who benefits,what consequences arise)

critical perspectives

promoting social justice

sociology is a science

use scientific methods: quantitative data and systematic observation, Durkheim’s study of suicide used statistical analysis to identify social causes rather than individual psychological reasons

positivists: treats society as an objective reality that can be studied scientifically

predictability: theories often predict outcomes based on social conditions, Merton’s strain theory predicts how social structures pressure individuals toward deviance

sociology not science

Social Reality is Subjective and Interpretive, need to use Weber verhesten

sociology isn’t value free, researchers place own sociological viewpoint on research

lack universal laws (paradigms) many sociologists can’t even agree underlying principles