What ontological considerations and perspectives can be related to the methods compared?
The comparison of two data collection methods will be done by looking at semi-structured interviews as well as participatory observations. What they both have in common is that they are executed qualitatively and it is therefore implied that much more focus on words and interpretation will be necessary when using these sorts of methods (Bryman, 2008; 366). This will also be reflected in the ontological as well as epistemological similarities.
Ontology deals with issues concerning social entities and how these entities should be viewed. It is based on two alternative positions which are suitable for different sorts of studies; objectivism and constructivism. Objectivism asserts that there is one objective truth unaffected by social actors, an approach which is more common within quantitative research methods and will therefore not be relevant for these particular methods. Constructionism as an approach on the other hand assert that social realities “can and should be considered as social constructions built up from the perceptions and actions of social actors” (Bryman, 2008; 18). This approach is also the one which is most relevant for both semi-structured interviews as well as participatory observations in where the social actors play a significant role in the research.
Constructivism asserts that social realities is a “social construction” in a constant state of change, and therefore it will be difficult to achieve the same results in same studies made at different time periods. Moreover, researchers who use this approach always present a subjective view of social realities (Bryman, 2008), which is done by both methods. Semi-structured int...
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...as objectivity in qualitative research) as well as how the respondents comprehended the phenomenon (Bryman, 2008). There are several available models included in the concept of narrative analysis that could be a suitable approach. Bryman (2008) mentions four of these; Thematic analysis, structural analysis, interactional analysis, as well as performative analysis, all which could be suitable for semi-structured interviews of particular. All models focuses on different parts of the interview (or data collection). For instance, the thematic analysis emphasizes the words of the respondents as opposed to subtle things concerning how the words are said and continually investigate whether there are common themes among the respondents. The performative analysis in addition of analyzing the words also focuses on gestures and more subtle ways of behavior of the respondent.
The preliminary to fruitful discussion of social matters is that certain obstacles shall be overcome, obstacles residing in our present conceptions of the method of social inquiry. One of the obstructions in the path is the seemingl...
Taking Two Of The Theoretical Approaches To Social Research Discussed In The Module, Demonstrate The Connections Between Their Ontological, Epistemological And Methodological Assumptions. Which Method Or Methods Would Proponents Of Each Theory Favour As A Result Of Their Assumptions.
Gaskel, G. (2014) Thinking like a social scientist: Why methodology matters LSE100 Lecture Capture retrieved 26th March 2014 [http://moodle.lse.ac.uk]
Qualitative and quantitative methods allow researchers to investigate, explore and inquire the nature of the phenomenon being studied. It is important that the researcher develops a clear understanding of the problem and design a plan to investigate it (Cresswell, 1998, para. 1). There are a variety of research methods; nevertheless, it is important to consider which research method is appropriate for the study. Qualitative research focuses on human experiences while quantitative research relies on numbers, measurements, and testing. Nevertheless, qualitative and quantitative methods use similar approaches to conduct research and collect data. For example, observations and interviews are approaches used in both research designs; however, the approaches are used and viewed otherwise. This will be discussed later in the paper.
In the previous chapters I discussed the problem of the lack of healthy eating promotion programs in schools are leaving parents and students uneducated about how to purchase healthy items which is leading to childhood obesity. I also discussed how the problem is being addressed, as well as the theory of social constructionism. In this chapter, I will discuss the specific methodology I plan to use and the three different types of data collection I plan to employ to carry out my study. This study will use a qualitative approach to study and address the issue of the lack of healthy eating promotion in schools. The three types of data collection I plan to use are: direct observation, focus groups and a questionnaire. These methods will be clarified later in this chapter.
Qualitative research is concerned with understanding people’s many layers of envisioned reality. It is observation of the human practice, descriptive in manner, with careful, detailed factual description of people, objects and action. Viewed in a nonpositivism style, those who look at research in this manner believe all that is important and cannot be measured as in quantitative, concrete measurement. They believe there is an interaction between researcher and participant that has to be accounted for. This being said, experiments cannot be reproduced from one environment to another because the conditions are different, the context of the situation changes and interactions cannot be the same for different researchers and participants (Long, 2014a).
I am going to take an interpretivist approach to my work which is subjectivist ontology, meaning that our assumptions about how the world is made up and the nature of things. Some literature has questioned the reliability and validity of ethnographic research (LeCompte, Goetz 1982), however analysing gentrification in urban neighbourhoods requires a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches. According to Myers and Newman (2006), the qualitative interview is one of the most important data gathering tools in qualitative research. I am using this method as I believe they would be an effective tool to access people’s experiences and inner perceptions about the subject. Another reason I am choosing to use unstructured interviews as my main method is because of High Response Rate
(Spring): 49- (22 p.). Kvale, Steinar and Svend Brinkmann. 2009. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative.
This paper discusses three approaches that can be taken when studying Sociology. There are many subjects to be studied and discussed in the field of Sociology, and the approach chosen to study a particular subject is called a perspective. There are three different perspectives, and they are functionalist, conflict, and interactionist perspectives. This paper compares and contrasts these different perspectives with one another.
Berger, Peter, and Thomas Luckmann. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge. 1st ed. Garden City: Anchor Books, 1966. Print.
For everything that occurs, there will somehow be something that caused the action to happen. It is more of a cause and effect ideal or simple a reaction to an action. In terms of research academics, independent and dependent variables are concepts or attributes to certain things that occur such as drug use, crime, or domestic abuse. For example, stress or other personal problems may lead to someone to use drugs. Also, poverty may lead someone to commit crime. In addition, a power controlled individual may cause a partnership to suffer physical or verbal abuse.
This essay is going to critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys and questionnaires as a method of Socio-Legal research. When conducting socio-legal research, a number of methods can be used to collect useful information.
Theories in sociology sometime provide us with the different perspectives with which to view our social...
We seek knowledge to assist us in living quality and productive life. Research helps us to correctly define social issues and human actions. Every day we are faced with matters such as poverty, crime, and unemployment, hence we need continual research to find causes and solutions to aid in changing these social problems. Sociological Researchers use different methods and designs to study the society and social behaviors. Research methods vary according to the source of information, information collection tools (types) and how the information was sampled. Fieldwork or Ethnography is the most used type of sociological research, it helps in analyzing the characteristics of the population. Ethnography was the main form of sociological research
Creswell (2009), states that there are three types of designs, qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Smith and Davis (2010) states that qualitative research is a field of enquiry that is conducted in a natural setting by a researcher, who may be involved in, or may be part of the data collection process; as it utilizes the views of informants as the basis for the report. Qualitative research attempts to gain and in-depth, holistic picture of the phenomenon one wishes to study by interacting closely with the people being studied; the data collected are usually in the form of words or pictures.