Relationship between Theory and Methods

Relationship between Theory and Methods

1. Functionalism and Marxism

   • Functionalism theory based on consensus
   • Marxism theory based on conflict

2. Positivist approach

   • Take a scientific approach to studying society
   • Take a macro approach
   • Research should always remain objective
   • Quantitative data
   • Methods
     • Lab experiment
     • Questionnaire
     • Survey
   • Sampling technique
     • Random
     • Quota

3. Interactionism and Symbolic Interactionism

   • Interactionism - people carry out social actions
   • Symbolic interactionism - individuals are made up of the I and Me

4. Interpretivist Approach

   • Want to understand the world from people's point of view
   • Take a micro approach
   • Cannot always remain objective
   • Qualitative data
   • Methods
     • Observation methods
     • Longitudinal Studies
   • Sampling technique
     • Snowball
     • Self-selecting

5. Feminism

   • Ethnography
     • Qualitative data
   • Focus groups
     • Women feel comfortable in groups
     • Participants will get support from each other and so reveal more information
   • Unstructured interviews
     • They are flexible and allow the interviewee to lead the conversation
     • The power does not lie with the interviewer so women will feel comfortable

6. Postmodernism

   • Deconstruction
     • Sociologists should become like archaeologists and dig away at every level of individuals to get the best understanding of who they are
   • Transgression
     • Sociology as an academic subject should go beyond its broad topics e.g. Family, Education, Media and Religion
     • Sociology should look at whether the definitions of them have changed in a postmodern world