Sociological Perspectives

Definitions

Sociological Perspective: A broad approach, concerned with the aims and general principles governing Sociology as an academic discipline. It influences a Sociologist s choice of subject matter, theories and research methods. The main question it addresses is: How should we look at social occurrences?

Sociological Theory: A specific, coherent and evidenced-based explanation over why certain things happen within society. It is concerned with uncovering possible causal relationships. The main question it addresses is: Why is this happening?

Types of Sociological Theory:

1. Macro Theory looks at the large-scale behaviours of big Organizations, Institutions, Nation States and Major Global Developments.

2. Micro Theory looks at the small-scale interactions within Families, Tribes, Communities and other groups of limited size.

Types of Perspective

1. Logical Positivism

Definition: An approach which believes it possible to observe social life and establish reliable valid knowledge about exactly how it works

Founding Father: Augustus Comte (1798-1857)

Name Drops: Durkheim, Marx & Talcott Parsons

Assumption about Truth: The truth is out there and can be measured through the use of scientific methods, e.g. observation

Core Belief: Sociology is a science

Main Focus: The gathering of social facts in order to uncover the laws which govern society and historical change

Attitude to Statistics: Statistics reflect real social facts and can be taken at face value

Type of Reasoning preferred: Deductive theories are presented and tested against the facts

Derived Theories: The macro theories of Functionalism, The New Right and Marxism all of which emphasise the way social structure determines behaviour

Favoured Research Methods: Quantitative e.g. laboratory experiments and large-scale social surveys

Main Strength: Its systematic, data rich investigative procedures

Main Weakness: It s assumption that human behaviour can be equated with the reactions and movement of objects in the natural realm

Examples of Positivism in my Family History: the statistical survey of the census data of six Yorkshire settlements

2. Interpretivism (known also as anti-Positivism)

Definition: An approach emphasizing the various ways in which people interpret (or give meaning to) the world. How this affects their own participation in social and cultural life is also emphasised.

Founding Father: Max Weber (1864-1924)

Name Drops: Margaret Mead, George Ritzer & Erving Goffman

Assumption about Truth: Truth exists only in our heads and is constructed only through social interaction

Core Belief: Social action can best be understood by empathising with the way social actors perceive reality and the meaning they give to events and other people

Main Focus: Everyday life and its small scale interactions

Attitude to Statistics: Sceptical statistics are simply social constructs that don t necessarily reflect social reality

Type of Reasoning preferred: Inductive facts are gathered first and then theories (firmly based upon the facts) are further developed

Derived Theories: The micro social action theories of Symbolic Interactionism, Phenomenology and Post Modernism, each of which stress how human interaction can create social structures

Favoured Research Methods: Qualitative e.g. participant observation and in-depth interviews

Main Strength: The stress upon the everyday world of action wherein people try to find meaning and agreement

Main Weakness: Its subjectivity and lack of ability to account for the influence of large-scale organizations

Examples of Interpretivism in my Family History: Shown in the reconstruction and interpretation of the religious beliefs of my ancestors

3. Critical Realism (known also as Realism)

Definition: An approach concerned with exposing the underlying (and often difficult to observe) processes, mechanisms and structures which govern society

Founding Father: Roy Bhaskar (1944-2014)

Name Drops: Anthony Giddens, Margaret Archer & Alex Callincos

Assumption about Truth: Truth is out there but difficult to perceive and measure with any degree of accuracy

Core Belief: Social behaviour is governed by hidden processes, mechanisms and structures that are difficult to uncover

Main Focus: The defence of rational scientific enquiry against Positivism and Post Modern challenges

Attitude to Statistics: Statistics need to be combined with other forms of data to provide meaningful information

Type of Reasoning preferred: Inductive at the beginning of a research project, then deductive as it progresses

Derived Theories: Basic Realism, Dialectical Realism & Meta-Realism (known also as Spiritual Realism )

Favoured Research Methods: A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods are favoured

Main Strength: It s ability to strike a balance between the na ve realism of Positivism and the subjectivity of Interpretivism

Main Weakness: Mostly suited to long-term a large investment of both time and money

Examples of Realism in my Family History: Discovering the cultural ideal of respectability as the main driving force behind my family s strong work ethic

Conclusion

Sociology can be compared to a tree whose: -

1) Soil (nutrition) is Modern Western Civilization.

2) Roots are Western Materialism and Enlightenment Philosophy. (These roots emphasises the role of human reason as distinct from divine revelation as a means of obtaining knowledge).

3) Thick trunk is Sociology itself itself sub-divided into the three main branches of:

3.1 Logical Positivism divided again into the three smaller branches of: -

Functionalism, New Right Theory Marxism Hanging from these small branches are the twigs representing different quantitative research methods. Finally, any fruit hanging from the tree represent any useful data that result from employing those methods.

3.2 Interpretivism divided again into the three smaller branches of: -

Symbolic Interactionism Phenomenology Post Modernism. Hanging from these small branches are the twigs representing different qualitative research methods. Finally, any fruit hanging from the tree represent any useful data that result from employing those methods.

3.3 Critical Realism divided again into the three smaller branches of: -

Basic Realism Dialectical Realism Meta-Realism

Hanging from these smaller branches are the twigs representing different quantitative and qualitative research methods. Finally, any fruit hanging from the tree represents any useful data resulting from the employment of those methods.