Positivism & Interpretivism
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 1.2.2
Positivism and Interpretivism
Sociologists fall broadly into two groups depending on what they think the best way to study society is; positivist or interpretivist. These viewpoints will then impact on their choice of research method
Positivism
- Positivism refers to the belief that there are ‘social facts’ that can be studied objectively using methods that are similar to the natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry and biology).
- Positivist methods produce quantitative data on social patterns and trends which can be used to explain society.
Research methods
- Positivist research methods include:
- Laboratory experiments.
- The comparative method.
- Social surveys.
- Structured questionnaires.
Research methods cont.
- Positivist research methods include:
- Formal/structured interviews.
- Non-participant observation.
- Official statistics.
- Content analysis.
Interpretivism
- Interpretivism implies that people are conscious of their personal beliefs, meanings, values, and interpretations, and that these influence the way they act.
Interpretivist research
- From an interpretivist perspective, the researcher attempts to gain an in-depth understanding of how people see and understand the world around them by putting themselves in the position of those being studied; to understand things from their point of view.
Research methods
- Interpretivists use qualitative methods in order to study social phenomena, including:
- Uncontrolled field experiments.
- Open-ended questionnaires.
- Unstructured interviews.
- Overt and covert participant and non-participant observation.
- Personal accounts, using personal documents such as diaries and letters.
Test yourself on Positivism & Interpretivism
Which of the following is an example of a typical interpretivist research method?