Quantitative - what
Data that is able to be presented in numerical form
More objective in nature
Can be analysed and conclusions drawn are more likely to be reliable and can be repeated to see trends over time
Qualitative - what
More contextual data
Often presented in written, verbal or visual formats
Therefore, open to interpretation
It offers researchers more of an insight (verstehen) into the lives of others
Positivists
↑ likely to use methods that generate quantitative data
As they are 👀ing to establish trends and patterns of behaviour displayed by people in soc.
Prefer quantitative data, seeking to discover patterns and see sociology as scientific
Interpretivists
More likely to use methods that generate qualitative data that fit the purposes of their research
They 👀 for the meanings and motivations behind the beh. of groups
& this is ↑ likely to be found in qualitative data (Expressed in words, meanings and symbols)
Methods collecting Qualitative data smaller in scale
As it is relatively time consuming to collect & analyse
Due to the nature of ind. responses being different
Unlikely, qualitative data methods will be able to be replicated with similar findings
Focus more on the experiences and perspectives of smaller groups and inds.
Rather than being generalised to the entire population.
Quantitative data - structure and researcher
- More structured
- Researcher more detached to allow objective viewpoint
Quatitative methods: Approaches used in the natural sciences
- Experiments (lab& controlled)
- Questionnaires
(if Q’s have been precoded and have a finite n. of responses, responses can easily be analysed, trends & patterns org. into charts, tables & graphs)
-Opinion polls & surveys
- Structured interviews
- Non-participant structured observations
(❌ excl. prod. quant. data but can be used in a structure manner to 👀 the freq. of beh. over a period of ⏰, which prod. quant. data)
- Officual statistics (usually compiled from other quant. methods & complied by ONS)
- Content analysis
Uses of quantative data - Main
1) Reporting social trends
2) Opinion polls
3) Education
4) Private sector & charities
Uses of quantitative data - (1) Reporting social trends
In the UK, through ONS
Informs soc.pols. and budget spending
- Widely used by govs. in the reporting of soc. trends
(health, ed., crime, unemp., welfare) - This data is then used for planning budgets for diff. gov.tal dpts.
- & for int. new soc. pols. to tackle any issues that might arise
Uses of quantitative data - (2) Opinion polls
Measer atts. to social issues e.g. Brexit, voting intentions, fear of crime
In ed.: League tables, exam results, uni. admissions
Qualitative methods
- Participant observations (covert/overt)
- Some non-participant
- Unstructured interviews
- Q’aires w open Q’S
- Personal docs.
- Historical docs.
- Case studies
- Ethnographic approaches
- Jourals, diaries, forms of media
Qualitative methods - Some non-participant observations
Where people’s actions, ops., motivations & insights are recorded, transcribed & analysed
Qualitative methods - Unstructured interviews
Flexible nature allows for a broader range of responses, usually recorded, then transcribed & analysed
Case studies
Usually a mix of data sources
But take the form of an in-depth research into an ind. or group
Usually a case that is seen as an anomaly (❌ fit into normal beh. patterns)
The finding of these studies are often presented in a qualitative format
Main advantage of using qualitative data
Und. people’s perceptions, meanings & motivations in beh.
Comparing 👀points across ⏰ & revealing changes in soc. atts.
(2ry sources, part.ly historical docs. allow us to access 👀s that other methods would ❌✅ us to do)
Accesing hard to reach groups that are under-rep.d in soc.
Useful in informing further research
Personal & historical documents (Qlt.)
Can reveal interesting changes & atts. over ⏰ & help us to und. the process of social change
Qualitative methods are also useful in…
Gaining the views of those who are underrepresented in soc. or hard to access
E.g. covert observations w. criminals, ? reveal why people turn to crime
Qualitative - useful in informing further research
Socs. when they conduct research will 👀 to other work in that field to inform some of their 💡
& using articles, 📚,📓journals, written by others in that field to move forward our knowledge of society
Structural theorists
Prefer quantitative data
As it allows them to see the big picture in soc.
Social action theorists
Prefer qualitative data as it offers them an insight into the experiences of those they are studying
Quantitative data better for
Large-scale research that can be repeated & measured over ⏰ eg census
Qualitative data best for
Gaining an insight into the lives and exp. of inds. that are often ignored in soc.
Best suited to the diverse range of inds. in late modern & post-modern soc.
⬆︎g.er 🔦 on individualism, often target those that are ignored in soc., bringing new voices to the discussion of social issues
Combining methods can … refered to
↑ reliability (Qnt) & validity (Qlt) of research
⬆︎complete way of researching soc.
METHODOLOGICAL PLURALISM
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Quantitative and Qualitative methods29
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Primary and secondary data29
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Positivism and Interpretivism: social facts0
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Consensus, conflict, structural and social action theory0
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Modernity and Post-modernity33
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Is Sociology scientific9
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Subjectivity, objectivity and value freedom33
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Questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, documents and statistics21
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Factors influencing choice of methods5
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Factors affecting choice of topic10
