SOCB05H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Null Hypothesis, Antipositivism, Co-Creation
Document Summary
Hard because we don"t know if the pattern is something that is really happening or if it is a flux. Theories seek to provide explanations for observed patterns. Theories are linked to the explanatory objective of scientific research. Prevents us from being fooled by flukes. Makes sense of observed patterns in ways that can suggest other possibilities. Theories can shape and direct research efforts. Certain theories wont allow you to see certain observations. Can provide complex and comprehensive conceptual understandings of things that cannot be easily pinned down. A lens through which we can critically examine . Explanation, description and exploratory = 3 purposes of research. Therefore research is not always linked to theory. Fundamental frames of reference used to organize observations. Collections of theories which can share common underlying assumptions, values, and views of social realities. It"s just a different way of seeing the world. Often hard to recognize because they are implicit, assumed, or taken for granted.
