POSITIVIST METHODOLOGY

POSITIVIST METHODOLOGY

1. INTRO

   • success science post-'Enlightenment' made powerful impression sociologists 19th cent, sought copy success producing science of society, sociology would bring true knowledge soc be used eradicate soc probs eg poverty and injustice, since then doubt cast over such assertions some sociologists argue this not poss/nor desirable

2. THE SCIENTIFIC MODEL

   • Popper argues science involves hypothetico-deductive meth, involved testing hypothesis, 5 stages to scientific method: hypothesis formation - informed guesses poss form of phenomena, falsification - testing hyp against evidence trying provide it wrong, prediction - establishing evidence based C&E relationships which happen again and again future in same circumstances arose, theory formation - if hyp is tested can't be proven false then its likely be true and can become part scientific theory, scrutiny - scientific theory scrutinised by scientists stands true until new ev emerges proves this be false
   • underpinning approach is testing hyp against empirical evidence, objectivity important part scientific process to enable soc facts be established, involves 4 things: open mindedness from researcher perspective, value freedom - keep personal prejudice, opinions/values out research process, scrutiny - findings should be open inspection/criticised by other researchers, usingquantifiable data

3. THE THEORY

   • view logic, methods and procedures nat sci eg phys, chem, bio, applied study soc with few changes, early sociologists eg Comte described selves positivists, showing behaviour soc world governed laws same way as behaviour in nat world, similarly Durkheim argued positivist approach soc and use social facts

4. SOCIAL FACTS

   • positivists believe just as causes things nat world so there social facts cause events in social world, Durkheim claimed aim sociology should be study these soc facts - should considered as things like objects of nat world, and in most cases obs and measured quantitatively, by social facts = social phenomena exist outside individuals but act upon them ways constrain behaviour. Soc facts external, measurable and constraining, for positivists soc has reality goes above/beyond individual & soc facts, individuals can't do exactly what want without coming up against whole range sanctions which stop anti-soc behaviour

5. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

   • human behaviour response to observable soc facts and can be explained terms C&E relationships
   • direct obs and use quant methods should be used study soc, without quantification sociology remains at level insight, lacking ev and impossible replicate in order check findings, establish C&E and make generalisations
   • focus research = soc causes of events eg Durkheim study suicide abd imbalance social integration and moral regulation
   • focus of sociology = study social institutions and the soc structure as a whole not on the individual

6. THE METHODS

   • Durkheim wanted study suicide demo sociology was science w/ own distinct subject matter, believed if show highly individualistic act has soc causes this establish sociology's status as distinct/genuinely scientific discipline, using quant data OS observed patterns in suicide rates, eg Protestants higher than Catholics, concluded patterns couldn't be products individuals but were social facts, according Durkheim soc facts were moral regulation and social integration

7. TYPE OF DATA - QUANTITATIVE

   • methods present/analyse data statistical form, research aims isolate variables and establish C&E, eg OS, experiments, Qs and social surveys
     • ADVANTAGES
       • can identify trends over time, can identify diffs between key soc variables, can see correlations and establish causal connections, soc policy can be dev, allows easy analysis complex data, high reliability, easy replicate, relatively quick, cheap and straightforward
     • WEAKNESSES
       • diffs operationalising key concepts, often imposes researchers def what important via pre-set Qs/categories, fails consider meanings, doesn't retain nat sit, low validity, diff gather info complex, intimate and personal topics