THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Issues:
Should scientific methods be used?
What are the problems of scientific methods of science in sociology?
A CONVENTIONAL VIEW OF WHAT SCIENCE IS
Procedures and logic, to be reliable and valid.
Experiments, observation and statistical texts. Logic. popper explained the process of conjecture (i.e. a guess/untested hypothesis) and refutations (test). The best way to test something to to try and disprove it. If no evidence against, then it might be true. All scientific knowledge is temporary.
THE EXPERIMENTAL METHOD
This involves manipulating an IV, independent variable (cause), and observing the DV, dependent variable (the effect) whilst controlling the EV, extraneous variables (other factors which might influence the results).
Natural scientists favour experiments because they are easy to control.
Laboratory experiments have maximum control.
Field experiments are more natural.
Experiments in sociology are not so common, but are so in psychology.
THE CASE FOR USING SCIENTIFIC METHODS IN SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH.
Early positivist sociologists, like Comte and Durkheim, liked scientific methods because they were successful in testing knowledge in the natural sciences. They saw sociology s the study of social facts, i.e. how society influences the behaviour of individuals.
Durkheim argues that a comparative survey was a good substitute for an experiment because the essence of the method was the same, and it's testable.
THE CASE AGAINST USING SCIENTIFIC METHODS IN SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
THEORETICAL PROBLEMS
Interactionists argue that sociology should study social action, not social facts.
Social actions, because it involves social meanings given to behaviour, not just the objective behaviour, cannot be directly observed, i.e. you can't see a meaning.
P. Winch, said we need to know the reasons for behaviour (in the mind) rather than the causes of behaviour (which are external to a person and exist in society (so we should be looking at reactions to expectations).
PRACTICAL PROBLEMS.
The Hawthorne effect, means that people's behaviour tends to change when they are being observed.
Self-fulfilling prophecy, means the results may just mirror the expectations of researchers.
Both these things also occur in the natural sciences. They are minimised by remaining detached.
A CRITICAL VIEW OF WHAT SCIENCE ACTUALLY IS
A challenge to the view that scientists are open-minded and detached. Kuhn said that a basic framework of ideas has usually been accepted, and questions are never asked outside of this.. Evidence which challenges this taken-for-granted framework is ignored or distorted. When there's too much to ignore, then there's a revolution (in science) and a new framework comes about. Kaplan argued that things are written up as though the whole thing was a progression, but actually discoveries are the result of inspiration of accident. Broad and Wade mentioned that some scientists cheat to get the result they want.
CONCLUSION
Some sociologists try to use scientific methods.
There are some problems with this.
Some reject the scientific approach.
There is some controversy about what scientists actually do.
Extra Information
An example of the Hawthorne effect was a study my Mayo, on the effect of lighting on workers, all of whom worked harder whatever the level of lighting.
An example of cheating, work on the IQ by Cyril Burt (a major figure in UK psychology and education) was based on fictitious study of twins, but influenced the introduction of the 11 plus exams.
Reliable means that which can be repeated with the same results. Valid means true, i.e. the research measures what it was supposed to.