Positivist and Interpretivist

What do Sociologists (in general) want to do?

• to explore what we take for granted in society.

• to discover opinions and meanings behind the way people live.

• to explain how different parts of society work together.

• All of the above

BLANK see the world as made up things that can be tested and measured. BLANK like things that can be measured quantitatively.

• Positivists

• Interpretivists

• Bonjovists

BLANK the world as a socially constructed place. There are no ‘facts’. Knowledge is based on what people think.

• Positivists

• Interpretivists

• Bonjovists

Which of these would be used be Positivists?

• Lab experiments

• Surveys

• Official statistics

• All of the above

Interpretivists would use research methods such as...

• Government approved statistics

• Unstructured interviews

• Lab experiments

• All of the above

Which is more effective approach?

• Positivist

• Interpretivist

• Neither, they both have merit and often should be used together

What do we mean by "Hypothesis"?

• A statement of what the researcher thinks the outcome of the research will be.

• A small pig with its front legs shorted than the back so it can run around the hills of Scotland

• The definitive answer to your question at the end of your research

• A method of extracting data from a subject who is unwilling to cooperate

Your hypothesis should be created...

• Before the research

• During the research

• After the research

• Never. It's a waste of time.