Lab experiments

Key elements to this are control; wherein the researcher can control all of the variables in the study to discover what effect they have. There are two groups, the control group who are not exposed to the variable being measured and the experimental group who are exposed. 

This method is very rarely used in sociology, this is becuase it carry many limitations. 

Practical issues

Open systems - Keat and Urry argue that this method is only useful for studying closed systems where all variables are in control of the researcher. However there are so many variables in sociology that it is not possible to use this method. Countless factors are in play in every…