Theory and Methods
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120 Terms
According to functionalism, what is society based on?
consensus and shared values
Is functionalism a macro or micro theory?
macro
What research methods do functionalists tend to prefer?
quantitative methods
What is a criticism of functionalism?
it takes a rose-tinted view of society
What gender criticism is made of functionalism?
it ignores gender inequality
What criticism does social action theory make of functionalism?
functionalism doesn't explain where people get their meanings from
According to Marxism, what is society based on?
conflict
What two classes are central to Marxism?
the bourgeoisie and proletariat
Is Marxism macro or micro?
macro
What methods do Marxists generally prefer?
quantitative methods
What is a criticism of Marxism?
it is deterministic
What historical criticism is made of Marxism?
communism has largely failed where it has been implemented
Why do postmodernists criticise Marxism?
it is a meta-narrative
According to feminism, what is society based on?
conflict and patriarchy
Name the three main types of feminism
Liberal, Marxist and Radical feminism
Is feminism macro or micro?
macro
What criticism is made of feminism?
it ignores differences between women, including class, ethnicity and sexuality
According to social action theory, what is the focus of sociology?
meanings and interpretations individuals attach to actions
Is social action theory macro or micro?
micro
What methods do social action theorists prefer?
qualitative methods
What is the interpretivist concept associated with social action theory?
Verstehen
What criticism is made of social action theory?
it ignores structural factors such as class and gender
According to late modernists, what kind of society do we live in?
a continuation of modernity
What concept is central to late modernism?
risk society
What criticism is made of late modernism?
many risks stem from capitalism rather than technology
According to postmodernists, what characterises society?
diversity and choice
What do postmodernists argue about modern society?
society has broken away from modernity
What criticism is made of postmodernism?
it exaggerates the amount of choice people have
Why do Marxists criticise postmodernism?
it ignores continuing social class inequalities
What is a meta-narrative?
a grand theory claiming to explain society as a whole
Which perspective argues sociology can be scientific?
positivism
Which sociologist is associated with sociology as a science?
Durkheim
What are social facts?
external forces that shape individuals' behaviour
What research methods do positivists favour?
quantitative methods
What is verificationism?
testing evidence to support a hypothesis
Which study did Durkheim use to demonstrate sociology as a science?
Le Suicide
What did Popper argue about science?
science should falsify hypotheses
What is falsification?
attempting to disprove theories
What example did Popper use to explain falsification?
the black swan example
Why did Popper argue Marxism is not scientific?
it is unfalsifiable
According to Kuhn, what is a paradigm?
a shared scientific framework
What are Kuhn's three stages of scientific development?
pre-science, normal science and revolutionary science
Why did Kuhn argue sociology is not yet a science?
it lacks a unifying paradigm
Why do interpretivists reject sociology as a science?
humans have consciousness and free will
What do interpretivists argue sociology should focus on?
understanding meanings
What concept do interpretivists use to describe understanding meaning?
Verstehen
Which sociologist studied coroners' meanings attached to suicide?
Atkinson
What is value freedom?
conducting research objectively without bias
Which perspective supports value freedom?
positivism
Why did Comte support value freedom?
sociology should objectively improve society
Why did Durkheim support value freedom?
social facts can be studied scientifically
According to positivists, why are questionnaires objective?
they simply measure what exists
What do O'Connell, Davidson and Layder argue?
personal values do not matter if research is well designed
Which perspective argues sociology cannot be value free?
interpretivism
Why do interpretivists reject value freedom?
researchers' beliefs and experiences influence research
What evidence suggests Durkheim may not have been value free?
the death of his friend influenced his interest in suicide
What is committed sociology?
research that actively seeks social change
Which perspectives support committed sociology?
Marxism and radical feminism
What did Howard Becker argue sociologists should do?
take the side of the underdog
What is social policy?
government action to address social problems
Which type of feminism supports influencing social policy?
Liberal feminism
Which feminist is associated with influencing social policy?
Betty Friedan
Name three examples of legislation influenced by feminism
Equal Pay Act (1970), Sex Discrimination Act (1975) and Marital Rape Act (1991)
What is the Third Way?
Giddens' approach combining state intervention with individual responsibility
Which government used Third Way ideas?
New Labour
What was the Social Exclusion Unit?
a government body tackling social exclusion
Why do Marxists oppose relying on social policy?
capitalism needs dismantling
Why do radical feminists oppose relying on social policy?
patriarchy needs dismantling
Why does the New Right oppose sociologists influencing policy?
they favour minimal state intervention
What does Charles Murray argue welfare creates?
a dependent underclass
Give one advantage of official statistics
they are often free and quick to access
Give another advantage of official statistics
they identify patterns and trends
Why are official statistics reliable?
they are collected consistently
Why are official statistics representative?
they often cover large populations
What is the main criticism of official statistics?
they may lack validity
Why might crime statistics lack validity?
they do not reveal the true extent of crime
Why are laboratory experiments reliable?
researchers control variables
What is the Hawthorne Effect?
participants alter behaviour because they know they are being studied
Why do laboratory experiments lack validity?
they occur in artificial settings
Which famous experiment raises ethical concerns?
Milgram's obedience study
Why are field experiments valid?
they occur in real-life settings
Why can field experiments be reliable?
procedures can be replicated
What ethical issue affects field experiments?
lack of informed consent
What other ethical issue affects field experiments?
deception
Which study highlights ethical concerns in field experiments?
Rosenthal and Jacobson
Why are questionnaires reliable?
questions are standardised
Why are questionnaires representative?
large samples can be used
Why are questionnaires practical?
they are cheap and quick
What is the social desirability effect?
giving socially acceptable answers
Why can questionnaires lack validity?
respondents may lie or misunderstand questions
What is operationalisation?
turning abstract concepts into measurable variables
Why are structured interviews reliable?
they use standardised questions
Why are structured interviews representative?
large samples can be used
What is a disadvantage of structured interviews?
they are inflexible
Why might structured interviews be expensive?
interviewers require training
What criticism do feminists make of structured interviews?
they reinforce unequal power relationships
Why are unstructured interviews valid?
researchers build rapport
Why are unstructured interviews flexible?
questions can be adapted
Why are unstructured interviews not representative?
they involve small samples
Why are unstructured interviews unreliable?
they are difficult to replicate