Sociology (9292) | Approaches to research

Welcome to the World of Sociological Detective Work!

Hello future Sociologists! This chapter, Approaches to Research, is one of the most important parts of the whole course. Don't worry if it sounds complicated—it’s actually just about choosing the right perspective before you start investigating.

Think of it this way: if you want to study a bird, do you use a telescope (to see how many are in the park) or a magnifying glass (to understand the texture of one feather)? Your choice of tool depends on your approach.

In Sociology, the approach you take decides which research methods you think are best for understanding society. Let’s dive into the two main approaches!

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1. The Two Big Approaches: Positivism vs. Interpretivism

Sociologists often disagree about how society should be studied. This disagreement boils down to two main philosophical camps:

1.1 Approach 1: Positivism (The Scientific Approach)

The Positivist approach treats sociology like a natural science, such as Physics or Chemistry.

What Positivists Believe:

Positivists believe that the social world works according to fixed laws and predictable causes, just like the natural world.

• Society is a system: They see society as a structure that controls how individuals behave.
• Search for Social Facts: They look for social facts—observable, measurable patterns and statistics that exist outside of the individual. (Example: Divorce rates, crime statistics, voting patterns.)
• Cause and Effect: The goal is to identify causes (X) and predict effects (Y). If unemployment (X) rises, does crime (Y) also rise?
• Objectivity is Key: Researchers must remain neutral and objective (unbiased), preventing their own feelings or opinions from influencing the results.

How Positivists Study Society:

Since Positivists want measurable facts and clear patterns, they favour methods that produce Quantitative Data (data expressed in numbers).

Positivist Methods Checklist:

1. Surveys and Questionnaires (large numbers, tick-boxes).
2. Official Statistics (government data on crime, education, health).
3. Structured Interviews (questions are read out exactly the same way every time).

Why they choose these methods: Positivists prioritize Reliability. Reliability means that if another researcher repeated the study using the exact same methods, they would get the same results. Think of a reliable scale—it always gives the same weight for the same object.

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1.2 Approach 2: Interpretivism (The Understanding Approach)

Interpretivists disagree with the Positivists. They argue that humans are not like rocks or chemicals; we have feelings, motives, and free will. We act based on the meaning we give to things.

What Interpretivists Believe:

This approach focuses on understanding the inner world of the people being studied.

• Society is created by us: They believe society is built moment-by-moment through human interaction and meaning.
• Search for Meaning: The goal is to understand the world through the eyes of the people being studied. Why did *that* person do *that* thing?
• Verstehen: This key term (German for 'understanding') means deep, empathetic understanding. You must put yourself in the shoes of the subject.
• Subjectivity is Needed: Researchers must accept that they need to understand the subjects' personal, subjective views, even if it means getting personally involved.

Did you know? Interpretivism is sometimes called Anti-Positivism or Phenomenology. Don't worry about the long names; they all mean focusing on understanding individual experiences.

How Interpretivists Study Society:

Since Interpretivists want to discover feelings, motives, and detailed life stories, they favour methods that produce Qualitative Data (data expressed in words, descriptions, and depth).

Interpretivist Methods Checklist:

1. Unstructured Interviews (like a guided conversation).
2. Participant Observation (the researcher joins the group they are studying).
3. Diaries and detailed life histories.

Why they choose these methods: Interpretivists prioritize Validity. Validity means the research gives a true, genuine, and in-depth picture of what life is like for the people being studied. A detailed diary (Qualitative data) might be more valid in describing a person's feelings than just a tick-box survey (Quantitative data).

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2. Comparing the Two Approaches: Methods and Data

Most exam questions will ask you to compare Positivism and Interpretivism. The biggest difference is their view on what makes good research.

2.1 The Quantitative vs. Qualitative Debate

The two approaches lead directly to the two types of data:

Quantitative Data (Positivist Preference)

Focus on quantity (how much/how many).

• What it is: Data that can be counted or expressed numerically.
• Strengths: Easy to compare, measure patterns over time, highly reliable.
• Weaknesses: Lacks detail, doesn't explain *why* the numbers are what they are.
• Example: 60% of students failed the test.

Qualitative Data (Interpretivist Preference)

Focus on quality (what is it like).

• What it is: Data expressed in words, detailed descriptions, feelings, and meanings.
• Strengths: Provides deep validity and rich detail, helps achieve Verstehen.
• Weaknesses: Hard to generalize to the whole population, often subjective, difficult to repeat (low reliability).
• Example: "I failed the test because I felt extremely anxious about my future and couldn't focus."

2.2 Summary Table: Key Differences

Use this table to quickly revise the core arguments:

Feature	Positivism	Interpretivism
View of Society	Structured, external laws (like science)	Created by individuals and their meanings
Main Goal	Find Social Facts and patterns	Achieve Verstehen (deep understanding)
Ideal Data	Quantitative (Numbers, statistics)	Qualitative (Words, descriptions, feelings)
Key Priority	Reliability (Consistency)	Validity (Truthfulness)
Role of Researcher	Objective (detached and neutral)	Subjective (involved and empathetic)

3. Conclusion: Why Does the Approach Matter?

The approach chosen is the foundation of the research project.
If a sociologist starts with a Positivist approach, they will likely choose a large survey to get reliable statistics on a pattern.
If they start with an Interpretivist approach, they will likely choose a small group for participant observation to gain detailed validity.

Understanding these two fundamental approaches helps you critique *all* the research methods we will study later! Well done for tackling these big ideas!