Positivism and Interpretivism

• • Primary
  • Experiments ( either in-laboratory or in-field).
  • Observations ( overt and covert; participant and non- participant).
  • Interviews ( structured and unstructured).
  • Content analysis.
• • Secondary
  • Use of official statistics.
  • Use of documents i.e. letters, photographs, newspapers, the internet etc.
• Structuralist - MACRO approach, believe sociology is a science and data can be collected and quantified in to numerical information which can be studied ( POSITIVISM )
• Interpretivists -MICRO approach, believe sociology is not a science ( ANTI-POSITIVISM )
• Positivists argue sociology is a science:

  • Society is real and physical, just as the natural world is.
  • Society systematically shapes individuals and their behaviour, and this can be measured.
  • Society can be objectively measured and studied.
• Anti-positivists argue sociology isn't a science:

  • There is no objective reality; society is created by people through a negotiated order and social interactions.
  • Our actions are based on meanings we create, not structural influences, therefore it cannot be measured.
  • Society can be interpreted subjectively.
• Positivists use methods which give them quantitative data:

  • Structured interviews, structured questionnaires, content analysis, experiments, official statistics.
• Anti-positivists use methods which give them qualitative data:

  • Unstructured interviews, unstructured questionnaires, observations and personal documents.