Positivism vs Interpretism

Positivism

o   Prefer quantitative data.

o   Prefer structured methods.

o   Seek to discover patterns of behaviour which can be translated into numbers.

o   Sociology is a science.

o   Aim for reliability.

o   Value standardised procedures

o   Samples should be representative and generalisable.

o   Prefer random sampling techniques.

Interpretism

o   Prefer qualitative data.

o   Prefer unstructured methods.

o   Seek to understand social actors’ meanings.

o   Reject the view that sociology can be a science.

o   Aim for validity.

o   Prefer unstandardised procedures, e.g., open ended questions.

o   Seek Verstehen (discovering the meaning individuals give to their actions)

o   Prefer non-random sampling techniques.