Positivism

• Who developed the methodological approach of positivism?

  Emile Durkheim
• How does positivism approach the study of society?

  In a systematic and scientific way
• What do early positivists argue about studying individuals?

  They can be studied like natural sciences
• What are social facts in the context of positivism?

  Behaviors that can be measured and quantified
• What is one key idea of positivism regarding society?

  Society is shaped by social institutions
• What is the focus of positivists in sociology?

  Structural view of society
• What type of sociology is positivism associated with?

  Macro sociology
• What type of data do positivists prefer to collect?

  Quantitative data
• Why do positivists prefer quantitative data?

  It is more objective and scientific
• What methods do positivists use to study society?

  Lab and field experiments
• How do lab experiments differ from field experiments?

  Lab experiments have more control over variables
• What is the comparative method in positivism?

  Comparing data across time and locations
• What notable research did Durkheim conduct?

  Research into suicide across Western Europe
• What type of surveys do positivists prefer?

  Closed questionnaires and structured interviews
• Why do positivists prefer non-participant observations?

  They are more detached and objective
• What are the strengths of positivist methods?

  • Provide cause and effect relationships
  • Produce quantitative data
  • Seen as more objective
  • Generalizable to the population
  • Useful for formulating social policies
  • Results can be reproduced and checked
• What is a limitation of positivist methods?

  They often lack validity
• What do positivist methods fail to provide?

  A rationale behind behavior changes
• How do positivist methods view individual agency?

  They focus too heavily on structural elements
• What is a criticism of positivist research approaches?

  They seek a one-size-fits-all theory
• What do positivist methods reduce people's attitudes to?

  Numerical values
• What are some examples of positivist research?

  • Durkheim's study of suicide
  • Rates of offending and achievement
  • Social attitude surveys
  • Census data in the UK
  • Consumer purchasing habits
• How often is the census conducted in the UK?

  Every 10 years
• What factors do positivist studies often analyze?

  Social class, ethnicity, and gender
• What is the conclusion of the video on positivism?

  It summarizes the key points of positivism