SR - Research Orientations Lesson

 

Research Orientations Lesson

When sociologists embark on a study, they are required to do two things:

1. Apply the sociological perspective,
2. Be curious and ask questions.

As long as they fulfill those two requirements, they are free to choose the path they want to use in studying patterns of social behavior. For the most part, sociologists choose between three different "paths" or orientations to guide their research. Although these orientations are linked to the theoretical perspectives you learned about in the last module, they are not necessarily one and the same. Watch the presentation below to learn about each.

Elements of Culture: Symbols, Language, Values, and Norms

Please download and/or print the Three Research Orientations Chart Handout Links to an external site. for notetaking. 

Sociological Research: Strengths and Weaknesses

Each of the research orientations has its supporters and detractors- as did the major theoretical perspectives. Much of the praise or complaints regarding each of the orientations are similar to those surrounding the major theoretical perspectives that are associated with each.

Scientific Method

A key element in sociological research is planning- you can not just walk out into the street and start asking anyone questions, you have to have precise plans in order to do your research.  While the three research orientations have many differences, they are alike in that they all use the scientific method to conduct a study.

Select the tabs below to learn about the five basic steps sociologists of all orientations use in their research.

How the sociologist makes use of those five steps is often influenced by the research orientation the sociologist has adopted. Let's use the first step of the scientific method to illustrate the differences between the orientations.  A sociologist using a Positivist/Scientific or Interpretive Sociology orientation is more likely to "ask a question" based on the desire to explain a societal phenomenon while a sociologist using the Critical Sociology orientation is more likely to "define a problem" in order to affect change.  Such a distinction reveals the difference behind the intent of the study and would influence the remaining steps of the scientific method in the sociologist's research.  This would be especially noticeable in the third step- formulate a hypothesis.  As the Critical sociologist would be stating an educated guess in the hopes of producing change. While the Positivist/Scientific sociologist and the Interpretive sociologist might have the same intent behind their research, an explanation of a phenomenon, they will diverge from one another during the fourth step of the scientific method over what type of research method to use. This is due to the fact that Positivist/Scientific Sociology focuses on what people do while Interpretive Sociology focuses on what people understand of their actions. The Positivist/Scientific sociologist relies heavily on quantitative data in his or her analysis and will use research methods that produce that type of data while the Interpretive sociologist relies more on qualitative data and will choose another research method altogether.

• Positivist/Scientific Sociology is more objective (not affected by personal feelings or prejudice; on facts; unbiased)   
• Interpretive Sociology is more subjective (places emphasis or reliance on one's own moods, attitudes, or opinions; the opposite of objective)  
• Critical Sociology is more activist (in support of a cause) -- hence the different styles in maneuvering through the same scientific method.

Research Designs and Methods Review Activity

Before we move on to discuss the different research designs and methods that sociologists choose to work with, let's complete a quick review of the material you've just learned.  Drag each card into the correct category.

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