The first research method I am going to write about is a study by Young and Willmott called The Symmetrical Family. In this study, men and women were asked to keep a record on the time they spent on various tasks. This method is a questionnaire, which would be primary research because they gathered the information themselves and is quantitative research. Quantitative means that the data is easy to gather and repeat and easy to analyse. The alternative to quantitative is qualitative, which is more in depth and includes information on events and feelings.
Using a questionnaire to gather information about can be effective as it gives the opportunity to ask a variety of questions, it can have multiple-choice answers, which give you the answers, or it can have open-ended questions to gain more information. There are negative points in using questionnaires when researching the family as people may lie, or if it is a questionnaire through the post, many people are unlikely to take the time to fill them in.
Another method in researching different aspects of family life is through observation this is primary qualitative research. There are various types of observation, participant observation is the researcher becoming a member of whomever they are researching, and non-participant is when the researcher is more like a fly on the wall. Both of these types of observation can be covert or overt. Covertly is the researcher gaining information without the subjects’ knowledge or consent and overtly is the researcher getting permission and being open about it
The ethics of observation depends on which type is used. The covert types of researching could be seen to be breaching the trust of people and invading human rights. However as the subject is unaware research is going on the researcher can gain some very accurate information. When the research is overt, there are no ethical problems with misleading people. However because the people know they are part of some research then there is the chance that they are not completely themselves or tell the whole truth.
There is a third primary research method that can be used to research the family which is interviews, as well as the other two this method has good and bad points regarding ethics and reliability. It very unlikely that there is ever a research method that can be used which is 100% perfect. The best thing to do is think carefully about what information you want to gain and way up the advantages and disadvantages regarding each method.
Bibliography
Haralambos M, Holborn M, Heald R. (2000) Sociology – Themes and Perspectives, Fifth Edition, Published by Collins Educational, London
