Personal & Historical Documents

• What are personal documents in sociology?

  Documents specific to one person, not public
• Give examples of personal documents.

  Diaries, letters, photographs, medical files
• How has social media changed the concept of personal documents?

  Social media sites can be considered personal documents
• What are historical documents in sociology?

  Documents that provide insights about the past
• Why do sociologists use historical documents?

  To understand social changes and norms over time
• What types of historical documents can sociologists use?

  Parish records, government documents, old broadcasts
• What advantage do historical documents provide sociologists?

  They allow retrospective examination of social changes
• How do personal documents enhance research validity?

  They offer qualitative data and unique perspectives
• What issues arise when accessing personal documents?

  Gatekeepers may restrict access to documents
• What are some practical issues with historical documents?

  They may require special permissions to view
• Why might historical documents require specialist knowledge?

  To understand language or context of documents
• What ethical considerations are important with personal documents?

  Confidentiality and anonymity must be respected
• Why are personal documents often kept private?

  They contain sensitive thoughts and feelings
• What ethical issues arise with discussing family histories?

  Relatives may not want their history discussed
• What is a potential issue with government documents?

  They may disclose sensitive national matters
• What concerns exist regarding the authenticity of documents?

  Sources may have ulterior motives or agendas
• Why do interpretivists prefer documents in research?

  They provide qualitative data and validity
• How can researchers ensure representativeness in document analysis?

  By cross-checking with similar sources
• What subjectivity issues arise in document interpretation?

  Researcher and author viewpoints may differ
• What are the practical, ethical, and theoretical issues with using personal and historical documents?

  • Practical: Access difficulties, time-consuming, finding relevant documents
  • Ethical: Confidentiality, potential harm to families
  • Theoretical: Authenticity, representativeness, subjectivity in interpretation
• Who used letters from Polish migrants for research?

  Thomas and Zanechi
• What did Peter Lasler analyze to study family structure changes?

  Parish records
• What methods did Douglas use in his research on suicide victims?

  Unstructured interviews and personal documents
• What types of personal documents did Douglas rely on?

  Suicide notes, diaries, medical reports
• What is the conclusion of the sociology topic video?

  It focuses on personal and historical documents