Positivism basics

• Positivists believe that society should be studied scientifically
• Sociology should be objective, logical and follow the hypothetical-deductive method
• Prefers collecting quantitative data using objective research methods, such as closed questionnaires, structured interviews and experiments
• Positivists believe that we shouldn’t go beyond the boundaries of what can be observed
• Positivist tradition stresses the importance of doing quantitative research in order to get an overview of society as a whole and uncover social trends
• This type of sociology is more interested in trends and patterns rather than individuals
• Comparative method- positivists tend to look for relationships or correlations between 2 or more variables