Difference Between Positivistm And Antipositivism

799 Words2 Pages

Many sociologist come to a disagreement and different approaches to the Sociological concept of positivism and antipositivism. Positivism is the scientific study of social patterns. This pertains to the use of scientific methods to get a more clear understanding of the natural world. Auguste Comte was the founder of this concept. Comte believed the way that society interacts with individuals using positivism would usher in a new “positivist” age of history. Comte concept of positivism is still relevant today. Since then positivism has been expanded and became the foundation for quantitative sociology. Quantitative sociology is the use of empirical evidence to gain an understanding of human patterns and behavior. For example, surveys with a large amount of participants, and other statistical techniques are used in Quantitative sociology according to “Introduction to society”.

Other sociologist such as Emile Durkheim have developed different notions of positivism. Durkheim believed that objective “social facts” (poggi 2000) was useful information that sociologist could study upon, unlike the sociologist who …show more content…

Mead’s work consisted of how the mind and self were developed as a result of social process. (cronk n.d) Mead believed that an individual identity was influenced by interactions in society. For example, particular individuals may have influenced a person 's life this is called “significant others”. He also created “generalized others”, structured and common attitude of social groups according to “Introduction of sociology”. To summarize, Mead’s concepts focuses on symbolic interactionism which is the study of social behavior that uses linguistic or gestural communication in a subjective understanding while focusing on micro level

Show More
Related

  • Social Research

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sociologists researchers first make ontological assumptions. That is to say, they decide what they are studying or what should be studied. They decide what the subject matter consists of and the meanings behind it. They must consider the social reality and the nature of being, in relation to the subject matter.

    Read More

  • Symbolic Interactionism Of Drunk Driving

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Symbolic interactionism is the process of interaction in the formation of meanings for individuals who chose to behave in ways that guide by personal expe-riences and characteristics of the society (Society Made Me Do It). As we grow up as young kids and adults, we learn that drinking is bad for you. We see it in a lot of movies, videos, songs, and billboards. In our community we grow up with alcohol all around us with bars being just around the corner or looking in the fridge as a kid or young adult and seeing how much alcohol is in there from our parents makes people tempted to try it. Even going to parties at such a young age. Like for me when I was a freshman I had a senior brother so I would get invited to everything and I would just walk around and see every person there drinking and I would look at my brother and ask how everyone was getting him and his answer every time was that they were driving themselves home. This is how addicts of alcohol develop at such a young age and once you are addicted it is so hard to quit. Symbolic interactionism looks at the meanings behind it and signs of the behavior. Drunk driving is gloried in music videos and movies (Society Made Me Do It). This gives off a terrible perception. Everyone wants to do what their favorite actor does in mov-ies, so if they are encouraging drunk driving without implying it then

    Read More

  • Herbert Mead's Social Psychology

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mead’s most significant contributions to the discipline of social psychology, was the way in which he distinguish between the “Self,”

    Read More

  • The Morality of Abortion and Surrogacy

    1769 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is said that, the basic principle of such tradition is that humans communicate through symbols, which are a common currency through which a sense of self is created through interaction with others. Mead's theory neatly avoids the trap of positing a sense of self that is constructed entirely through symbols and society by making a distinction between two different selves: "I" which is the unsocialized self; the font of individual desires and needs, and "me," the socialized self, the self within society. (p. 184) Elliot rightly identifies the flaws of symbolic interactionism: namely, the obsession with rationalism and the wholesale disavowal of the emotional aspects of the self. The American sociologist Irving Goffman would seem to articulate a rather more fluid version of selfhood. Irving's self is constantly engaged in per formative space, routinely playing specific roles within particular scenes of social interaction. (2001) This conceptualization of self too is not without its flaws, for although Irving maintains that there is a self behind the masks, it is not this self but rather its per formative role-playing that appears to be analyzed in Irving's theory.

    Read More

  • Symbolic Interactionism: The Base Theory Of The Looking Glass Self, By Charles Cooley

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    Symbolic Interactionist, is a concept that borders on the fringes of sociology, speech and communications, and even human psychology. The term was first coined by Herbert Bulmer who did not invent the concept. The concept was created by his professor at the University of Chicago and renowned social phycologist George Herbert Mead. The basic premise of this concept is that the very root of being human is being social creatures and our connection to each other. It is in this light that we judge our actions and choices as either successful and appropriate. Another important aspect of this theory that differentiates humans from animals is our ability and almost autonomous goal oriented behavior. Lions don’t think to themselves, if I produce more food for the pack then I will be King one day, animals don’t think long term, they react and think about survival. Whereas humans think if I don’t finish high school, people will think less of me and it will be harder to earn a living in the future, whereas others think the same about collage leading them to devote the actions and money to meet social standards that will allow them to live a life that meets a different

    Read More

  • Major Sociological Theories

    1707 Words  | 4 Pages

    In symbolic interaction we communicate with other people through roles that we assign to them, the way we label them, or how we act in accordance to what this person symbolizes to us. Often we assign labels, or roles to other people by knowing them from before. It is focused on individual interactions with other people, things or the events. One thing can symbolize one thing to me, but it can mean something else to another individual. Since we view the same thing differently, we will interact towards that thing or individual in different ways. An example of this is, rainy day for my kids means fun in the water, walking through mud, and just enjoying the day. To me the same rainy day means, lots of dirty clothes, mud all over the floor. It is important to remember that someone’s symbolic interaction can change. It is fully focused on micro sociology, only focusing on interactions between individuals. It states that we interact and change according to our prior experiences and interactions. Two sociologists that are identified with this theory are Max Weber and George Mead. Action depends

    Read More

  • Symbolic Interactionism: The Causes Of Homelessness In Today's Society

    758 Words  | 2 Pages

    Symbolic interactionism perspective is defined as “the study of how people negotiate the meanings of social life during their interactions with others” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas, 2014, p.27). It asserts that “we construct meaning about things that are important in our own lives and in our society” (Rohall, Milkie, and Lucas, 2014, p.28). These meanings derive from social interactions among individuals which

    Read More

  • Socioctionalism, Conflict Theory, And Social Subactionism

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    George Herbert Mead is credited with introducing the symbolic interactionist perspective. Herbert Blumer, a student of Mead, first coined the term symbolic interactionism. He stated that a persons reaction to a symbol was determined by that persons previous social reactions and their environment.

    Read More

  • Comparing Weber's and Durkheim's Methodological Contributions to Sociology

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    Comparing Weber's and Durkheim's Methodological Contributions to Sociology This essay will be examining the methodological contributions both Durkheim and Weber have provided to sociology. It will briefly observe what Positivists are and how their methodologies influence and affect their research. It will also consider what interpretative sociology is, and why their type of methodology is used when carrying out research. It will analyse both Durkheim's study of Suicide and also Webers study of The Protestant work ethic, and hopefully establish how each methodology was used for each particular piece of research, and why. Emile Durkhiem, in sociology terminology is considered to be a Functionalist, in addition to also being a Positivist, however, strictly speaking, Durkheim was not a Positivist.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Social Surveys in Sociological Research

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Advantages and Limitations of Social Surveys in Sociological Research To survey something, is to carry out a systematic overview so that a researcher can produce a comprehensive general report on it. Survey method is often used by positivist sociologists seeking to test their hypotheses, and to investigate causes and examine variables. As with every other sociological research, survey has its own advantages and limitations. Positivist research, which is in the scientific tradition, begins with a hypothesis that can be either confirmed or rejected according to the data collected. One of the significant advantages of survey method is that, it can be used to collect data that is a representative of a larger population.

    Read More

  • Ethnocentrism In Sociology

    1196 Words  | 3 Pages

    Numerous sociologists have contributed to research society and social interactions. In other words, society has been studied through how humans interact and shape their environment. There are many developed theories and different approaches for these findings, and sociologists have helped us understand the ways society functions. Amongst their many findings is that we construct reality through our interactions with others. This is also known as the social construction of reality, which is defined as different social behaviors, patterns and rules, influencing the human perception of reality. Social behaviors, like ethnocentrism and cultural relativism, plays a role in human behavior. Understanding, significance, and meaning are developed not

    Read More

  • Sociology Being Value Free

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Critics could say that this definition of objective definition may revel Bierstedt own values of patriarchal bias that he expresses in his own work. Both Comte and Durkheim held that sociological research could be performed objectively if scientific methodologies are applied. Marx also agreed that social research could be performed objectively if science methodologies are applied, but held very different views about society to Comte and Durkheim. =

    Read More

  • Mixed Method Research Essay

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Quantitative purists (Ayer, 1959; Maxwell & Delaney, 2004; Popper, 1959; Schrag, 1992) articulate assumptions that are consistent with what is commonly called a positivist philosophy. That is, quantitative purists believe that social observations should be treated as entities in much the same way that physical scientists treat physical phenomena. Further, they contend that the observer is separate from the entities that are subject to observation.

    Read More

  • Structural Functional Theory Case Study

    1595 Words  | 4 Pages

    Social interaction is defined as the process by which people act and react in relation to others (Macionis 583). Symbolic Interaction Theory is a micro-level orientation, a close up focus on social interaction in specific situations. Social construction of reality, the foundation of the symbolic-interaction theory, is the process by which people creatively shape reality through social interaction. Quite a bit of reality remains unclear I everyone’s mind, so we present ourselves in terms that suit the setting and our purposes, we try to guide what happens next, and as others do the same, reality takes shape. Reality then is a product of social

    Read More

  • Is Sociology a Science?

    1959 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... Thus, the normative concepts were discarded as “metaphysical”. However, it is rather evident that these concepts compose the very subject matter of the study of sociology. As the result, one must agree that we are limited by the impossibility of experimentation, which signifies that the scientific methods are not applicable to the entire study of sociology. Works Cited for: Giddens, A. (2006)

    Read More

More about Difference Between Positivistm And Antipositivism

Open Document