The Issues when doing research & the choice of research area
- Created by: Kaitlint11
- Created on: 16-03-23 10:43
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- The Issues when doing research & the choice of research area
- The issues when undertaking research
- Why do some topics of research occur again while other issues are rarely explored?
- e.g. young people and offending is often researched.
- Perhaps more commonly researched issues are easier, or cheaper or more interesting
- Is funding less likely to be obtained for research into subject areas that threaten more powerful groups?
- Why do sociologists choose to use some research methods over others?
- which method is more useful in which circumstance?
- Are there implications for research using 1 method over another?
- Why do some topics of research occur again while other issues are rarely explored?
- Factors when choosing an area of topic to study:
- affected by the researchers values and position in society.
- unlikely to study issues they don't think are important
- sociologists have their own interests as professionals
- generally want to further their careers & tend to research topics that attract research funding
- Most funding comes fromthe Economic and Social Research Council, channeling money that originally comes from the government
- decisions also influenced by government priorities which explains why some subjects are more researched
- influenced by developments in sociology & society. new government policies often lead to new research (introduction of new types of schools)
- research presenting serious ethical difficulties (sexuality in school) less likely to be conducted.
- researching a topic may confirm peoples views on a particular issue.
- e.g. studying the negative side of African Caribbean life can lead to association between race & criminality or race and failure
- researching a topic may confirm peoples views on a particular issue.
- those with strong theoretical beliefs about society are likely to study topics they see most important.
- feminists feel obliged to examine position of women in society and analyse how patriarchy is used
- marxists often study issues like concentration of power and wealth and importance of social class divisions
- functionalists often look at role of religion or schools in passing on values
- influenced by the practicalities of carrying out research. If time consuming, expensive, difficult it's less likely to be carried out
- affected by the researchers values and position in society.
- The issues when undertaking research
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