Positivism

what do positivist believe in regards to sociology and science

that it is possible and desirable to apply the logic and methods of the natural sciences to the study of society.

doing so will bring us true, objective knowledge of the same type found in objective sciences providing the basis for solving social problems and achieving progress

whats a key feature in the positive approach to sociology as a science

reality exists outside and interdependently of the human mind

• nature is made up of objective, observable, physical facts like rocks and cells which are external to our minds and exist whether we like it or not

• similarly, society is an object of factual reality- it is a real ‘thing’ made up of social facts that exists ‘out there’ independently of individuals just like the physical world

how do positives view society

with empirical (factual) patterns or regularities- e.g. water boils at 100 degrees Celsius

what do positivist believe in regards ‘real laws are discoverable’

they believe that just as scientists have discovered photosynthesis, sociologists can discover laws on how society works

whats the methods behind ‘real laws are discoverable’

inductive reasoning- collecting data about the real world through careful observations and measurements. as our knowledge grows we begin to see general patterns. e.g. we may observe an object drop fall towards the earth at the same rate of acceleration

what we a develop from inductive reasoning

a theory that explains all put observations so far. after many more observations have confirmed the theory it can be claimed to have discovered a theory in the form of general law.

this approach is also known as verificationism

how can the patterns observed be explained by positivist

by finding the facts which cause the- like an apple falling to the ground in terms of gravity like how we might explain the social fact of educational failure in terms of another social fact like material deprivation

what do positivist sociologists seek to discover

the cause of the patterns they observe and aim to produce general statements or scientific laws about how society works. this can then be used to predict future events to guide social policy.

why type of explanations do positivists favour

‘macro’ or structural explanations of social phenomena, such as functionalism or Marxism.

why do positivists favour macro theories

because macro theories see society and its structures as social facts that exist outside of us and shape our behaviour patterns.

why do positivists believe in experimental methods

allows the investigator to test a hypothesis in the most systematic and controlled way.

experiments involve examining each possible casual factor to observe its effects while excluding other factors.

what type of data do positives use and why

quantitative data like natural scientists to uncover and measure patterns of behaviour allowing them to produce a mathematically precise statement about relationships between facts. by analysing this data they seek to find the cause-and-effect relationship that determines behaviour

what do positivist believe researchers should be

detached and objective- not letting their own subjective feelings, values or prejudiced influence how they conduct their research or analyse their findings.

in science it is also claimed that scientists values and opinions make no difference to the outcome of the research

whats a risk with sociology and research results

sociology deals with people so there is a danger of the researcher ‘contaminating’ the research like by influencing an interviewees answer

what do positivist do to reduce danger of influence

employ methods with maximum objectivity and detachment that are quantitative like questionnaires, official statistic ans structured interviews

what study did Durkeim do to try and prove sociology as a science

a study of suicides he believed if he could prove that even such a highly individual act had social cause, this would establish sociology’s status as a genuinely scientific discipline

what method did Durkeim use to conduct his research

official statistics- he observed the patterns in suicide rates

e.g. the rates of Protestants were higher than Catholics

what did Durkheim conclude from looking at the official statistics

these patterns could not be the product of the motives of individuals, but were social facts. as such they must be caused by other social facts- forces acting upon each members of society to determine their behaviour

what did Durkheim claim in regard to suicide and social facts

the social facts responsible for determining the suicide rate were the levels of integration and regulation. thus Catholics were less likely to commit suicide than protestants because Catholicism was more successful in integrating individuals

what did Durkheim claim at the end of his research

to have discovered a ‘real law’: that different levels of integration and regulation produce different rates of suicide. he claimed to have demonstrated that sociology had its own unique subject matter - social facts- and that these could be explained scientifically

whats an AO3 point to Durkeims study

its more convincingly argued that Catholics had a lower rate of suicide because it was a sin to commit suicide meaning the cause of death was often lied about so families could protect themselves etc.

its also impossible to know if the people who killed themselves were due to not feeling integrated as could of been many reasons which we are unable to discover now.

whats the hypothetico-deductive method

• hypothesis formation

• falsification

• the use of empirical evidence

• replication

• the accumulation of evidence

• prediction

• theory formation

• scrutiny

Positivist view of sociology as a science

Society can and should be studied using the logic and methods of the natural sciences to produce objective knowledge.

Positivist view of social reality

Reality exists objectively outside human minds and is composed of observable social facts that shape individual behaviour.

Positivist view of social patterns

Human behaviour displays observable, empirical regularities similar to patterns found in the natural world.

Positivist goal regarding social laws

Sociologists aim to uncover general laws explaining how society functions, mirroring discoveries made by natural scientists.

Inductive reasoning

The research approach of gathering observational data and identifying patterns to build explanatory theories.

Verificationism

The principle that a theory is confirmed as a general law once repeated empirical observations verify it.

Positivist approach to causal explanation

Explaining observed social patterns by discovering external cause-and-effect relationships between social facts.

Practical aim of discovering social laws

Predicting future societal events to guide social policy and resolve social problems.

Theoretical approach favoured by positivists

Macro-level structural perspectives, such as Functionalism and Marxism.

Why positivists favour structural theories

Structural frameworks treat society as an external reality made up of social facts that direct human behaviour.

Positivist rationale for experimental methods

Experiments allow researchers to isolate individual variables in a controlled setting to test causal hypotheses systematically.

Primary data type favoured by positivists

Quantitative data, which enables precise mathematical measurement of relationships between social facts.

Positivist standard for researcher objectivity

Researchers must maintain personal detachment to prevent subjective values or prejudices from influencing findings.

Researcher contamination

The risk that a sociologist inadvertently influences participant responses or biases the research process.

Positivist methods for maintaining detachment

Standardised, quantitative methods such as closed questionnaires, structured interviews, and official statistics.

Aim of Durkheim's study of suicide

To demonstrate that even an individual act has social causes, establishing sociology as a scientific discipline.

Method used in Durkheim's suicide study

Comparative analysis of official quantitative suicide statistics across different social groups.

Religious pattern observed in Durkheim's suicide study

Protestants displayed consistently higher suicide rates than Catholics.

Two social facts identifying suicide rates according to Durkheim

Social integration and moral regulation.

Durkheim's scientific law of suicide

Suicide rates vary systematically with the levels of integration and regulation within a group.

Statistical critique of Durkheim's suicide study

Catholic coroners and relatives were more prone to conceal suicides due to religious stigma, distorting official figures.

Interpretivist critique of Durkheim's suicide study

Statistical records cannot uncover the internal subjective meanings or motives of the individuals who died.

Key stages of the hypothetico-deductive method

Hypothesis formation, empirical testing, falsification attempts, replication, data accumulation, and theory formulation.