Positivism & Interpretivism Key Words

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Case study
A highly detailed study of one or two social situations or groups.
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Cluster sampling
The researcher selects a series of different places and then chooses a sample at random from the cluster of people within these areas.
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Cross-sectional survey
A survey conducted at one time with no attempt to follow up the people surveyed over a longer time.
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Dependent variable
The one you measure (social phenomenon that changes as a result of another phenomenon).
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Epistemological
Relating to theories of knowledge.
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Experiment
A highly controlled situation where the researchers try to isolate the influence of each variable (rarely used in Sociology).
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Experimenter effect
Unreliability arising from people responding to what they think is the experimenter's expectations.
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Field experiment
An experiment undertaken in the community/real life rather than a controlled environment.
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Hypothetico-deductive model
The research process associated with the physical sciences and used by positivists in Sociology.
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Independent variable
The phenomenon that causes the dependent variable to change.
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Indicator
A measurable social phenomenon that stands for an unmeasurable concept e.g. using church attendance to measure religious belief.
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Inductive
Way of reasoning that starts from the particular and works towards the general (patterns into theories).
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Interpretive sociologists
Approach and explore society by how people see society not following traditional scientific analysis.
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Longitudinal survey
A survey that is carried out over a considerable number of years on the same group of people.
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Multistage cluster sampling
Where subsamples are taken.
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Operationalize
To put into practice.
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Positivists
Those sympathetic to the use of traditional scientific methods in sociology.
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Probability/random sampling
Where a representative sample of the population is chosen by entirely random methods.
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Quantitative research
A positivist approach to research, favouring methods that produce statistical data.
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Quota sampling
Where a representative sample of the population is chosen using known characteristics of the population.
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Reliability
The need for research to be strictly comparable.
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Representative
A sample is representative if it is an accurate cross-section of the whole population being studied. This allows the researcher to generalize the results to the whole population.
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Sampling frame
A list used as the source for a random sample.
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Social fact
A term used by Durkheim to claim that certain objective facts exist in society that are not influenced by individuals, e.g. marriage and work.
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Stratified sampling
Where the population under study is divided according to known criteria, e.g. sex and age, in order to make the sample more representative.
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Survey
A large-scale piece of quantitative research aiming to make general statements about a particular population.
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Systematic sampling
Where every nth name on a list is chosen.
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Validity
The need to show that what research sets out to measure really is that which it measures.
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Covert observation
Where the sociologist does not admit to being a researcher.
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Ethnography
Sociologists studying small scale societies by living with the people and observing their daily lives.
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Field diary
A detailed record of events, conversations and thought kept by the observer, written up as often as possible.
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Generalizability
The ability to apply the findings of research into one group accurately to other groups.
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Grounded theory
An approach to theory construction in which theory is generated during research.
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Meaning
Blumer - used to describe the sense people make of a particular situation.
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Non-participant observation
Where the sociologist simply observes the group but does not seek to join in their activities.
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Overt
Researcher is Open about the research role.
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Participant observation
Where the sociologist joins a group of people and studies their behaviour.
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Phenomenological approaches
Stress how people perceive the world and interact with one another, e.g. interactionalism.
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Population
The entire group the sociologist is focusing on.
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Qualitative research
Research that is less interested in collecting statistical data and more interested in observing and interpreting the ways in which people behave.
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Transferability
The ability to transfer the results of research in one specific situation to others.
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Triangulation
Using multiple methods in research.
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Verstehen
Weber - empathy, i.e. the role of Sociology is to understand partly by seeing through the eyes of those who are being studied.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Cluster sampling

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The researcher selects a series of different places and then chooses a sample at random from the cluster of people within these areas.

Card 3

Front

Cross-sectional survey

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Dependent variable

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Epistemological

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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