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Theory And Methods
Theory and methods
12
Sociology
Not Applicable
03/27/2005

Additional Sociology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Advantages of using secondary data in sociological research
Definition
* can save time
* can save money
Term
What secondary data may be used to complement questionnaires?
Definition
* suggest questions to use in questionnaires - might reveal patterns
*quanlitative secondary research ie letters to complement quantitative research - valid and reliable data
Term
problems using letters or diaries in sociological research
Definition
* written documents, if studing a culture or group of people who don't write then no documents.
*lie or exaggerate when writing things down
*may be forgeries
*problem of interpreting their meanings
*not everyone keeps diaries - so unrepresentative
Term
why might questionnaires not be valid?
Definition
* validity = authentic or true picture of what is being studied
* low response rate
*filled out by wrong person
*not understanding the question
*those who do respond may be very different from those which don't = distorted picture
Term
What is positivism?
Definition
factual and scientific research
Term
Who used scientific methods in sociology and what was their study?
Definition
Durkheim – suicide study –different countries, social condition made people more/less likely to commit suicide
Term
Why do positives use scientific methods of research?
Definition
to prove that it is a science like chemistry. Support their theoretical model of society – there is some form of structure that exists independently of individual views.
Term
What is structuralism? –
Definition
seeing society as a whole – top down approach
Term
Who founded positivism? –
Definition
Comte (1798 – 1857)
Term
Why did he found positivism? –
Definition
belief that there should be a peaceful way of solving social problems.
Term
Is Marx a positivist? –
Definition
No but he used structuralist approach to change the world.
Term
What methods does positivism use? –
Definition
quantitative, facts which can be replicated
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