Positivism

Social facts are…

Things such as institutions, norms and values which exist external to the individual and constrain the individual

Induction involves…

Accumulating data about the world through careful observation and measurement

Causality means…

The relationships between cause and effect. How one stimuli can lead to a certain action

How do positivists think we should approach sociological research?

Sociology should approach research in the same way as the natural sciences. It should be objective and logical

What is their preferred data type and methods?

Quantitative data and methods such as closed questions, structured interviews, experiments

Who are the main Positivist researchers?

• Durkheim

• Comte

Objective quantitative research:

Positivists prefer quantitative data and as far as possible should follow the experimental method of the natural sciences. This will allow them to uncover and measure patterns of behaviour which will lead them to create social facts which govern society. Also by using quantitative data the positivists believe that they are able to uncover cause and effect that determine human behaviour

Positivists believe that research should be detached from subjective feelings and interpretations, it is claimed that a scientists beliefs and values have no impact on their findings and sociologists should be the same