SOCI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Positivism, Nomothetic
10 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Statistics: one of the two most common methodological traditions in sociology. On the positivistic side of the epistemological continuum. Besides considering how to gather data, qualitative methods also consider how to interpret data. Subjectivity: research must consider their own subjective views and those of others o o o o. Self-reflexivity: consider one"s own biases to minimize its influence on interpretation. Subjective views of others: consider the subjective state of data sources to understand the true meaning of the data (such as the hawthorne effect) Try to limit personal biases, try to look at the world in an unbiased way. There to test hypothesis - there to observe and get an understanding (qualitative) Vs. statistics: no clear method of testing hypotheses, doesn"t measure casual effect o. Qualitative methods are trying to get at a better understanding, not the causation of something. Interview: ask people questions about their education level, their tolerance, their participation in violence, whether their education promotes or limites.
