Are practical pressures the only factor shaping our choice of methods?
Sociology or ‘the science of society’ is the study of our social life, groups and cultures. Its main concern is with understanding human behavior “What we do with our lives and the ways in which our actions affect others must be understood. It is sociologies task to study the resulting balance between social reproduction and social transforms” (Giddens, 1997, pg 6). Sociologists use research as their tool to gain factual information. Many different forms of research have been developed for use in a variety of different ways, but all stem from a problem or question. It is the nature of that problem or question that determines the form of research preferred. Research is a fundamental tool to sociologists and the type of research used is vital. The key to selecting the right method follows a basic pattern which consists of A) Defining the question being asked; what is the purpose of the research, B) Reviewing any evidence that may be already available and C) Choose a research method. The methods we choose are greatly influenced by a number of factors from theoretical to ethical pressures. Practical pressures such as time, money and access, are a large factor shaping our choice and the limitations are evident in almost every method available. Though along with the limitations of funding, time constraints and gaining access to data or respondents come other restrictions such as ethics, the context in which the research is being carried out and the basic preference or theoretical approach to the research. Ackroid and Hughes would argue that unlike tools in a toolbox, sociological methods do not have a clear, unequivocal, purpose.
The main types of research available fall under four main categories. Observational studies are a form of research widely used. There are two forms of observation, participant and non participant; both can be carried out with or without the studied person’s knowledge. They can provide a more in depth source of information about social life that many other forms of research can not and is often allot more flexible. However, they do have major limitations, the skill of the researcher is critical, often they must participate in a group/community who are unaware they are being studied at the same time as observing and recording the activities and behaviors. When the researcher is going covert, the participants have not given their consent, this can result in ethical pressures. To avoid this pressure, should the participants be told? If they are told, would they agree and would this knowledge affect their input? This has been called experimental bias and the ‘Hawthorne Effect’. “During a study at the Hawthorn works of the western electricity company in Chicago in the late 1920’s, researchers conducted an experiment between productivity and variables such as lighting and heat. The researchers were puzzled as the results appeared to make little or no sense e.g. productivity increased whether the temperature in the workplace was turned up or down. The only factor that appeared to explain the increase was the workers awareness that they were part of an experiment” (Taylor, 1997, Pg 609). Previous studies such as this one may force a sociologist to question the reliability and validity of the results produced. This would force the researcher to consider if better results could be achieved by using another method. Theoretical pressures also exist, Positivists would argue that the use of observation does not produce quantitative data, they would prefer to use more scientific, structured methods. Practical pressures are imminent, but do not seem to be a major defining factor. Often observational methods do not require allot of funding, access is often available due to the participants believing the observer is someone they are not, but this method can be very time consuming, which may be a factor considered when choosing a research method.
