Nature of Knowledge

• What is ontology in the context of sociology?

  Philosophical study of existence and being
• Why is ontology relevant to social research?

  It questions the existence of social facts
• How are ontology and epistemology related in sociology?

  Ontology questions existence; epistemology questions knowledge
• What does epistemology study?

  Philosophy of knowledge and how we know
• What is the main debate in sociology regarding epistemology?

  Between positivism and interpretivism
• What do positivists believe about social facts?

  They can be established through objective research
• What do interpretivists argue regarding human behavior?

  We can investigate subjective interpretations
• What is phenomenology in sociology?

  Study of society as made by people
• How do phenomenologists view social phenomena?

  As social constructs rather than objective facts
• What conclusion did Atkinson reach in his study of suicide?

  Suicide is a conclusion reached by coroners
• What type of research do phenomenologists prefer?

  Qualitative research rich in validity
• How do functionalist sociologists view childhood?

  As a social fact with universal definitions
• What do positivists believe sociology can establish?

  Social facts that are scientifically verifiable
• How would a functionalist measure social cohesion?

  By operationalizing and objectively measuring it