{"id":4477,"date":"2019-09-17T22:48:56","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T17:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=4477"},"modified":"2019-09-17T22:48:56","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T17:18:56","slug":"sociology-i-previous-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/sociology-i-previous-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Sociology-I: Previous Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

“<\/em><\/strong>Methodological pluralism is an increasingly common feature of social research<\/em><\/strong>.” <\/em><\/strong>In the context of\u00a0\u00a0 this statement<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em><\/strong>discuss the ways in which multi-<\/em><\/strong>s<\/em><\/strong>trategy re<\/em><\/strong>s<\/em><\/strong>earch can be used<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Model Answer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Sociological research, combining different methods is referred to as ‘Methodological pluralism.’\u00a0\u00a0 Mostly, researchers rely on one method, associated with one of the ‘two research traditions’, but many a times they ‘buttress their findings’ with a method associated with another tradition.<\/p>\n

Martyn Hammer<\/strong>s<\/strong>ley<\/strong>, <\/strong>has distinguished ‘three approaches’ to research which uses several research\u00a0\u00a0 methods: (i) Triangulation, (ii) Facilitation, (iii) Complementarity.<\/p>\n

(i) Triangulation: <\/strong>It refers specifically to research where ‘quantitative and qualitative research methods’\u00a0\u00a0 are used to cross-check the findings produced by the other methods.<\/p>\n

(ii) Facilitation: <\/strong>This approach involves using one research method to ‘assist’ in the use of another\u00a0\u00a0 method. Ex. participant observation or interviews might be used to generate ideas which could be\u00a0\u00a0 used to produce questions for a questionnaire.<\/p>\n

(iii) Compl<\/strong>e<\/strong>m<\/strong>e<\/strong>ntarity: <\/strong>In this case ‘two research strategies’ are employed in order the different aspects\u00a0\u00a0 of an investigation can be dovetailed. Questionnaire might be used to produce ‘factual, statistical\u00a0\u00a0 data’, while a qualitative method could be employed to understand the meanings and motives<\/p>\n

Al<\/strong>a<\/strong>n Bryman <\/strong>has identified ten ways in which multi-strategy research can be used:<\/p>\n

1<\/strong>. <\/strong>The logic of triangu<\/strong>l<\/strong>ation <\/strong><\/p>\n

This follows Hammersley’s definition of triangulation described above. As an example, Bryman quotes a\u00a0\u00a0 study by Webb et al of young people’s attitudes towards different types of alcoholic drinks.\u00a0 \u00a0Questionnaire were used to check the results of focus group research. According to Bryman the main\u00a0\u00a0 advantage of triangulation is that it increases confidence in the research findings.<\/p>\n

2<\/strong>. <\/strong>Qualitat<\/strong>i<\/strong>v<\/strong>e <\/strong>research facilitates <\/strong>quantitative re<\/strong>se<\/strong>arch <\/strong><\/p>\n

Qualitative research might be useful for gene rating hypotheses to be tested in quantitative research. It\u00a0\u00a0 might also be used to aid measurement. For example, it can help researchers operationalize complex\u00a0\u00a0 concepts mean to those being studied. British Households Panel Survey used discussion and interviews\u00a0\u00a0 to clarify t he concepts included in questionnaire.<\/p>\n

3<\/strong>. <\/strong>Q<\/strong>u<\/strong>antitativ<\/strong>e <\/strong>re<\/strong>s<\/strong>earch facilitat<\/strong>e <\/strong>qualitat<\/strong>i<\/strong>ve <\/strong>1<\/strong>r<\/strong>esearch <\/strong><\/p>\n

A good example of this is when questionnai1re are used to identify people suitable for inclusion in a sample to be studied using qualitative methods. This can save researchers a lot of time which would\u00a0\u00a0 otherwise be wasted in carrying out research on people from whom no useful data is likely to be obtained.<\/p>\n

4<\/strong>. <\/strong>Fill<\/strong>i<\/strong>ng <\/strong>i<\/strong>n the gap<\/strong>s <\/strong>Sometimes research might employ one main method but find that this leaves gaps in the data which need to be filled. For example, ethnographers doing participant observation might also carry out interviews to find out about aspects of the social group and its history.<\/p>\n

6<\/strong>. <\/strong>Research<\/strong>e<\/strong>rs’ and part<\/strong>i<\/strong>cipants<\/strong>‘ <\/strong>per<\/strong>s<\/strong>pectives<\/strong>: <\/strong><\/p>\n

In this case, researchers use qualitative data to ‘gain access to the perspectives of the people they are studying and quantitative data which will allow them to explore specific issues in which they are interested’. Bryman uses the example of a study by Milkman (1997) of a car plant in t he USA. Milkman\u00a0 used focus groups and semi-structured interviews to find out how the workers felt about t heir work, and\u00a0 questionnaires to collect specific data from some workers who had accepted redundancy from the plant.<\/p>\n

7<\/strong>. <\/strong>The prob<\/strong>l<\/strong>em of generali<\/strong>t<\/strong>y<\/strong><\/p>\n

Qualitative research usually employs a small sample for practical reasons. It may be supplemented by\u00a0 quantitative research using a larger sample to make it possible to generalize from the findings.<\/p>\n

8<\/strong>. <\/strong>Q<\/strong>u<\/strong>alitative researc<\/strong>h <\/strong>facilitat<\/strong>in<\/strong>g the i<\/strong>n<\/strong>terpretatio<\/strong>n <\/strong>of <\/strong>t<\/strong>he relations<\/strong>hi<\/strong>p between va<\/strong>r<\/strong>iables <\/strong>Quant<\/strong>i<\/strong>tat<\/strong>i<\/strong>ve<\/strong><\/p>\n

research might identify general patterns, but qualitative research can help to explain why those patterns exist. For example, Gillborn and Youdell (2001) combined the use of school statistics on the achievement of pupils from different class and ethnic backgrounds in two schools, with in-depth interviews and observation. The qualitative methods revealed the reasons why some groups were achieving less than other groups in the schools.<\/p>\n

9<\/strong>. <\/strong>Studyi<\/strong>n<\/strong>g <\/strong>d<\/strong>ifferent as<\/strong>p<\/strong>ects of a pheno<\/strong>m<\/strong>enon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Different aspects of phenomenon might lend themselves to t he use of different research methods. An\u00a0 example, discussed by Bryman, is the study of family obligations by Janet Finch (1989). Quantitative\u00a0 methods were used to find out what people thought family obligations were in theory, while qualitative\u00a0 methods were used to examine how they actually worked in practice .<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Solving a puzzle<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Sometimes research throws up unexpected results which are hard to explain. Researchers might need to use a different method from that used initially to try to understand their findings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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