Scientific sociology tends to make us of quantitative data, while interpretive sociology
relies on qualitative data
Interpretive Sociology is better suited to research in a natural setting where
investigators interact with people, learning how they make sense of their everyday lives
Critical Sociology
(social conflict approach)
Critical sociology:
study of society that focuses on the need for social change.
Developed in reaction to the limitations of scientific sociology, especially in the area of
objectivity. Karl Marx views society as ever changing, not as a “natural” system with a
fixed order, as scientific sociology views it.
The importance of Change:
Instead of asking “how does society work?” critical
sociologists ask “Should society exists in its present form?” They ask more political and
moral questions.
Gender and Research
Gender:
the personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to
being female or male.
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5 ways that Gender shapes research:
Androcentricity:
refers to approaching an issue from a male perspective. Can limit the
good sociological investigation
Gynocentricity: seeing the world from a female perspective. Just as limiting as
Androcentricity
Overgeneralizing:
occurs when researchers use data drawn from people of only one
sex to support conclusions about “humanity” or “society”
Gender Blindness:
failing to consider the variable of gender.
Double Standards:
researches must be careful not to distort what they study by
judging men and women differently.
Interference:
when a subject reacts to the gender of the researcher.
Methods of Sociological Research
Research method:
systematic plan for doing research
Experiment:
a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly
controlled conditions
Hypothesis:
a statement of a possible relationship between two or more variables
The Hawthorne effect:
change in a subject’s behaviour caused simply by the
awareness of being studied
Survey Research:
method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or
questions in a questionnaire or an interview.
Population:
the people who are the focus of research
Sample:
a part of the population that represents the whole
Questionnaire:
a series of written questions that a researcher presents to subjects
Close-ended question: provides questions and fixed responses. Is easy to analyze
Open-ended question: allows subjects to respond freely, time consuming for the
researcher.
Interview:
series of questions a researcher asks respondents in person. Can be open-
ended or close-ended
Participant Observation
Participant observation:
a research method in which investigators systematically
observe people while joining them in their routine activities. Allows researchers an
inside look at social life in settings ranging from nightclubs to religious seminaries.
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Secondary Analysis:
