AS Sociology

Lesson 4: Theoretical Issues

Introduction

Refers to what we think society is like & if we can obtain an accurate and truthful picture of it.

Our views on these issues will affect the kinds of methods we prefer to use.

There are four different concerns regarding theoretical issues.

Validity

A valid method is one that gives a true or genuine picture of what something is really like.

Sociologists argue use of qualitative methods like Participant Observation give a more valid, truthful account. Provide us with a deeper insight through

first hand experience.

Reliability

Another word for reliability is replicability.Comes from Latin, replica, meaning an

exact copy of something.So...

A reliable method is one which when repeated by another researcher gives the same results again and again.

think reliability = repeatability.

Reliability (Repeatability) Example

Physics or Chemistry researchers can repeat the same experiments & get the same results as other researchers.

In Sociology…We can use quantitative methods such as

written questionnaires = more reliable results than qualitative methods such as unstructured interviews.

Representativeness

Refers to whether or not the people being studied are a typical cross-section of the group we are attempting to study.Example: Cannot study every singe child of

divorced parents.We can however study a randomly chosen

group of say 100 and use the findings.Note: Large scale quantitative studies tend

to provide more representative data.

Methodological Perspective

Choice of method is influenced by their perspective- their view of what society is like and how we should study it.

There are TWO contrasting perspectives on choice of methods:Positivism interpretivism

Positivists Perspective

Prefer quantitative dataSeek to discover patterns of behaviourSee Sociology as a science.

Interpretivists Perspective

Prefer Qualitative dataSeek to understand social actors’ (those

who exercise free will) meaningsReject the view that sociology is a

science

Who Falls in Where?

So where do the current theories fall into?Marxists & Feminists = Positivist

approach.See society as a large scale (macro)

structure that shapes our behaviour.Interactionists = Interpretivists approach.

They take a micro-level view of society, focusing on small scale, face to face interaction.

Importance of Sociologists Perspective

It is the single most important factor when choosing which method to use.

Practical and ethical factors usually limit the choice of method.

Just as a Sociologist prefers a particular type of data doesn’t mean they can just go ahead & gather it.Time, resources, access, consent, privacy

all constrain their choice.

Example Constraint

Name to know: Daivid Tuckett (2001)Had a student fallen ill with TBStudent confined to bed in a hospital wardUsed this as an opportunity to conduct a

participant observation study.

Choice of Topic

Factors influencing Sociological Choice

Cart Before the Horse?

Before we can choose a method to use, we must decide what topic the sociologist wants to study.

Four factors are important to consider:Theoretical PerspectiveSociety’s ValuesFunding BodiesPractical Factors

Theoretical Perspective

T.P. is a major influence on their choice of research topic.

Example: New Right Researcher

Wants to study the effect of welfare benefits on the growth of lone-parent families, since the idea of welfare dependency is central to their standpoint.

Contrastingly, a feminist researcher will likely be more inclined to choose to study domestic violence, as opposition to gender oppression lies at the core of feminist theory.

Society’s Values

Sociologists being a part of society, are also influenced by its values.

As these values change, so too do the focus of research.

Example: Rise of Feminism in the 60’s & 70’s led to a focus on

gender inequality & environmental concerns of the 21st century have created an interest in ‘green crimes’ such as heavy pollution and unlawful handling/transport of nuclear materials. (example: spent rods dumped at bottom of ocean etc…)

Funding Bodies

Most Researchers require external funding. Typically this comes from governments,

charitable organisations & businesses. When they are paying, they decide (not the

sociologist) the topic to be investigated.Example: New Labours (1997) concern over ‘social

exclusion’ in disadvantaged groups. Threw a lot of money at projects which investigated this issue.

Practical Factors

Inaccessibility of certain situations to the researcher may also restrict what can be studied.

Example: Sociology might like to research the

ways in which global corporations make their decisions, but it is unlikely they could since most of these are made in secret.