methods in sociolgy (overview)

• what is primary data?


  carried out by researcher themselves
• advantage and disadvantage of primary data?


  meets exact interests

  more time consuming and expensive
• what is secondary data?

  data carried out by another researcher
• advantage and disadvantage of secondary data?

  cheap + easy

  could be out of date
• what is quantitive data?

  data in numerical form
• advantages and disadvantages of quantitive data


  easy to read + track , better control

  not detailed enough
• what is qualitative data?


  data in written form
• advantages and disadvantages of qualitative data

  detailed and increased validity

  small sample size/bias?
• what do you look out for when evaluating data?

  Representative - does it link back to the target population(census 2021)

  Reliability - standardised procedure (milgram 1963)

  Validity - accuracy (patrick 1960s)

  Objectivity - researchers remove bias (official statistics)
• factors that influence research methods

  researcher’s values/position in society

  interests and career aspirations(attract research funding)

  contemporary social issues (fashionable?)
• what are the practical considerations?


  Funding

  Access

  Characteristcs

  Time

  Subject matter
• what are the ethical considerations?

  Consent

  Confidentiality

  Deception

  Debrief

  Privacy

  Protection from harm

  Withdrawal

  Vulnerable groups
• what are the theoretical considerations?

  Reliability

  Representativeness

  Validity
• what do positivists believe?

  studying society as a science that can be turned into laws

  research can remain value free (quantitive data)

  society can be understood, predicted and controlled

  Macro

  Reliability

  Objectivity
• what do interpretivists believe?

  studying society as a science is not possible because humans are not identical

  Micro

  Subjectivity

  Validity
• what is methodological pluralism 


  when researcher uses more than method of research to build fuller picture of social life
• what is triangulation?


  use of multiple or mixed methods to cross-check reliability of a particular research tool
• what is fitness for purpose?

  researchers will select method(s) most suitable for collecting the data
• researching students:

  . social class of students may determine responses - MC show pro school attitudes

  . difficult to study students within peer groups - may restrict people from speaking

  . students need to be protected - DBS checks + consent of parents + gatekeeper

  . students may change the way they act due to presence of researcher

  . status may impact results - “teacher in disguise”

  . status may impact results - “teacher in disguise”…no guarantee students will participate”no guarantee students will participate
• researching teacher:

  • good at impression management
  • teachers acting negatively towards a student = consequences
  • most teachers are of similar social standing which decreases chances of status differences
  • suspicious of researcher?
  • may not be aware of judgements on student = negative impact on student’s performance
  • gaining access to teachers is often difficult - gatekeepers
• researching parents:

  • status differences between parents and teachers may impact research
  • asking parents about inout on child’s education could be problematic
  • ethnicity of parents could influence the questions asked
  • social class of parents can influence research - WC blame school
  • difficult to observe parental interactions as they happen behind closed doors