Save
...
theory & methods
sociological methods
research design
Save
Share
Learn
Content
Leaderboard
Share
Learn
Created by
gracie
Visit profile
Cards (11)
the sociologists perspective
{factors affecting topic choice}
the
theoretical
viewpoint the sociologist has will affect what they want to study
ie
marxists
= interested in class
inequalities
in society
2. societies values
{factors affecting topic choice}
when values in
society
change, so does the focus of the
research
sociologists undertake
ie the increase of
feminism
in the 1960s led to more research on gender
inequality
3. practical factors
{factors affecting topic choice}
practical
factors can affect topic choice
these include
time
,
funding
,
access
,
personal
characteristics,
trends
in research
4. funding bodies
{factors affecting topic choice}
sociologists often need funding to cover the
costs
of their study
there are funding bodies who can provide economic support -> ie the
social research council
{
ERSC
}
the funding body may state what they want to be studied, as they are
paying
for the research
formulation of a hypothesis
{the research process}
a hypothesis is a
general
explanation that can be tested by collecting
evidence
that can be proved /
disproved
presented as a statement -> "
middle
class students outperform
working
class students"
the sociologists will either confirm or
disprove
favoured by
positivists
formulation of an aim
{the research process}
more appropriate than a
hypothesis
in some situations
an aim is
broader
& outlines what the researcher intends to study
interpretivists
favor this approach as it allows research to be guided by participants
2. choice of method
{the research process}
sociologists must choose their
method
ie questionnaire, survey, observation etc
3. operationalising concepts
{the research process}
defining
concepts
& ideas in order to measure them
ie
social
class
4. pilot study
{the research process}
a pilot study is a
draft
version of the research which is carried out on a
small
sample
5. data collection
{the research process}
the research is carried out in
full
6. publish findings
{the research process}
the sociologist
interprets
the data &
analyses
their data to identify their conclusions
a report will be written that
details
the research process
their findings will then be
publishes