Sociology Paper 2 Section A

OCR Sociology A Level - Paper 2 Section A Key terms

Durkheim - Le Suicide

Positivist style study. Able to find patterns and trends in his data, and more likely to stay objective.

Jack Douglas - Social Meanings of Suicide

Interpretivist style study. Interested in meanings and experiences, more open to subjectivity (researcher imposition).

Researcher Imposition

When the researcher has influence on the participants' responses.

Value Freedom

To keep your own views and beliefs separate from the research.

Reflexivity

A process where a researcher will examine their own influence on the research (being aware of their own researcher imposition).

Laud Humphreys - The Tearoom Study

Useful for Ethical issues: Illegal acts took place, No consent gained, Risked participants’ marriages, Followed participants home.

Focus Groups

Group setting that gives people a format to explain their views, collects qualitative data.

Ethnography

Study of human culture by immersing yourself into the environment. Gains verstehen and is mostly longitudinal.

Content Analysis

Involves quantifying qualitative data by interpreting words, images and themes.

Styles of Sampling

Random (positivist) - Using chance to find a range of participants.

Purposive (interpretivist) - When researchers pick out participants for specific characteristics.

Simple Random Sampling (technique)

Pure chance of selecting participants from a pool of potential participants

Stratified Sampling (technique)

Splitting the pool of potential participants into strata (groups), then randomly selecting from each strata to ensure a representative sample

Quota Sampling (technique)

Random sampling that continues picking out people until a quota is met.

Snowball Sampling

Letting your participants recruit other participants. Linear (1>1>1) or Exponential (1>2>4)

Volunteer Sampling

Participants volunteer to take part in the study, often from an advertisement.

Opportunity Sampling

Recruiting participants who are easily available to you (ie recruiting when you see them in a public space)

BSA Ethics - Professional Integrity

• Safeguard those involved

• Follow national laws

• Only complete research you’re qualified to do

• Consider Consequences of your work

BSA Ethics - Relationships with Participants

• Focus is on how to avoid harming participants, mainly on Covert research and Consent.

BSA Ethics - Data storage and archiving

• Research must follow the Data Protection Act, keeping anonymity for participants.

Methodological Pluralism

The view that neither positivism or interpretivism is superior. Researchers use multiple methods across the two theories.

Triangulation

Uses methodological pluralism, includes both quantitative and qualitative data.