Sociology 6 Marks Question

The weaknesses of survey method are as follows:

1. It is not possible to get detailed information in a survey method.
2. There are a number of respondents and the time spent on each respondent is limited.
3. The detailed answers that require detailed prompting cannot be asked again once the questionnaire is filled and sent.
4. These differences in the way the questions are asked and answered could introduce errors into the survey.
5. Questions of a personal and sensitive type cannot be asked. If it is asked then the answer would definitely be given in a safe manner by the respondents. This will make error in the survey.

Participant observation is a method to study societies. Ethnographers and sociologists use this method when they have to conduct field work that may last for months and years. Some of the things that ethnographers and sociologists do during participant observation are:

1. They either live or spend most of their time with the community people upon which the research is to be carried out.
2. The sociologist or the ethnographer almost becomes like a part of the community.
3. They participate with the communities in their rituals and customs, and record the observations on a regular basis.
4. The sociologists and ethnographers have limited people from the community on whom they depend for the information. These people are called informants or principal informants.
5. Although the sociologist’s goal is to study a specific area of interest, but the overall goal of the participant observation is to learn about the entire life of community.

Questionnaire: Set of questions prepared by the investigator and given to the respondent with option like yes, no, mock.
A method of collecting data systematically by asking questions which are answered by the respondent.
Types of Question:

1. Close Ended: Fixed choices are given and you have to tick one. MCQs, Yes/ No/ May be. An analysis is easier.
2. Easier to understand as it is based on facts. Easier for respondent to answer.
3. Objective.
4. Open Ended.
5. Opinion of respondent is asked. Subjective analysis is difficult as you will get different answers for the same question. It gives more detailed information.
6. Aquestionnaire should be a combination of these with more close ended questions to make analysis easier. This will give us percentage of choice and reasons for that choice.

• Questions should not be lengthy.
• Questions should be short/ precise and to the point.
• Use simple language and convey the same meaning to everyone.
• Questions should be sensitive to the audience.
• Questions should not be too personal/ more general.
• No G.K. questions like who is the prime minister.

Advantages:

1. You can cover a large area in limited time period and large number of people.
2. Objective, subjectivity doesn't enter into it.
3. Comparatively less expensive.
4. Investigator's presence is not required.
5. No bias as there is no face to face interaction.
6. Many questions can be covered.
7. No hesitation for the respondent.

Disadvantages:

1. Many a time questionnaires are not taken seriously.
2. Might be incorrectly filled out.
3. False identity.
4. You may not get it back.
5. Could be incomplete.
6. Can't clarify doubts.
7. Illiterate people can't answer.

Survey: It is a systematic collection of facts about a defined social group. The term usually refers to data collections that employ both interviewing and sampling to produce quantitative date-sets, amenable to computer based analysis.

1. Sampling and interviewing are employed in many other research designs. It is the combination of the two that has led to the social survey or sample survey, becoming the most important single type of social research, used by all the social sciences, market research and opinion polls.
2. Surveys can be used to provide descriptive statistics for national, regional or local population; to examine the clustering of social phenomena; to identify the social location and characteristics of subgroups for more intensive follow-up case-study research and to analyse causal processes and test explanations.
3. In recent years sociological survey analysis has been greatly extended to include the sophisticated multivariate modelling techniques that are common in econometrics.
4. One of the main attractions of the sample survey for both policy research and theoretical research is its transparency and accountability, methods and procedures can be made visible and accessible to other parties, unlike research designs that depend heavily on the contribution of individual researchers. The key disadvantage is that surveys normally use structured questionnaires, which constrain an enquiry to paths fixed at the start of fieldwork.
5. Other criticism which are sometimes levelled at surveys are that numerical variables rarely provide adequate operationalization of sociological constructs; the highly asymmetric power relation between researcher and interviewee is detrimental to the quality of the data collected; they provide a false aura of objectivity which makes their result vulnerable to political manipulation.
6. Many of these criticisms can be overcome by good survey design and implementation.

Survey interviews may be personal, postal or conducted by telephone. Telephone surveys are particularly common.

Observation: It refers to systematically attending, recording and processing information through direct participation and observation of the group, tribe or community which is included in the study.

1. There is use of vision for collection of data.
2. Collection of data by watching people's behaviour without actually interfering with it.
3. Noting down the data as it happens with regard to the cause, phenomenon and effect.

Observation-as a sociological research:

1. Specific, valid, reliable, accountable, precise.
2. Precise and no extra details.
3. Objectivity.
4. Researcher's opinion should not be expressed.
5. Validity is important. What you are observing must be related to the problem.
6. Has to be reliable and accurate.

Types of Observation:
Participant:

1. When you are a part of the observation. e.g. in a wedding, you are part of music and dancing along with observing.
2. Participant takes active part in all activities of the observed group.
3. Observed may or may not know the identity of the observer.
4. Usually the identity of the observer is not known as the observed will become very conscious.
5. Subjectivity is present and will be more as your identity bias.
6. Complete participant observation identity of observer is not known.
7. Observer stays with the people for days/ months. He gets completely involved in activities of group and stays with them in order to understand them completely and thorougly.

Non-Participant:

1. When you observe from outside. The observer is not part of the group that is being observed. e.g.; sitting out in sangeet.
2. Observed may or may not know of the observer's identity.
3. More objectivity than subjectivity-less bias.
4. Notes more than participant observer.
5. Personal bias may contaminate the results.
6. Quantitative data is less and difficult to find.
7. Noting sequence is after observation.

Steps involved for participant and non-participant observation:

1. Selection of appropriate group.
2. Familiarise with group and its activities.
3. Do research in sequence.
4. Get involved/ observe from outside depending on the type of participation.

In interview, a set of questions are asked face to face by the interviewer. Interview may be structured or unstructured.The success of interview depends on the following factors:

1. Interviewer must be framed, sensitive, confident and qualified.
2. Have some background of Interviewee.
3. Should be well prepared for the discussion.
4. Should be in control.
5. Patient not pushy.
6. Just guide the interviewee.
7. Be as objective as possible.
8. Has to have alternative questions.
9. Should not deviate from the topic chosen.
10. Questions showed always go from easy to difficult.

Advantages:

1. Facial expressions can give away emotions to a certain extent. Almost all questions are answered.
2. No false identity.
3. Questions are taken seriously.
4. Universally acceptable.

Disadvantages:

1. Interviews are time consuming.
2. Expensive.
3. There is bias and subjectivity.

How can a researcher avoid bias and error?

1. Interviewer should not get involved emotionally.
2. Not forget the objective of the interview.
3. Not deviate from what he/ she has to find out

A group of people that take part in a research investigation and are presumed to be representative of the population from which they have been drawn. Because of the constraints of time, money and practicality, psychologists can hardly ever study the whole population and therefore are forced to sample from it using one of the sampling methods.
Sampling: Refers to the process by which research psychologists attempt to select a representative group from the population under study. As an entire population tends to be too large to work with, a smaller group of participants must act as a representative sample. In an attempt to select a representative sample and thus avoid sampling bias (the over-representation of one category of participant in the sample), psychologists utilize a variety of sampling methods, such as:

1. Random Sample: Each member of the population under study stands the same chance of being selected.
2. Stratified Sample: The composition of the sample reflects the composition of the population, e.g. 30 percent males, 70 percent females in the population determines that the sample shall contain a selection of 70 percent females, 30 percent males.
3. Quota Sample: The researcher selects a quota of people roughly in proportion to their occurrence in the population (e.g. a quota of different age groups).
4. Opportunity Sample: Roughly a case of selecting whoever is available at the time at that location.

This approach appeared initially as a reaction against the methods and claims of the evolutionists. Functional analysis is a method of sociological enquiry which examines social and cultural items by locating them in a wider context. This usually means showing how these items affect and are affected by others with which they coexist over time, within the same social system. In other words, functional method refers to the functional analysis which is also known as "functionalism". This asserts that the principal task of sociology is to examine the contribution of social items that make the social and cultural life of human collectivities. It examines social phenomenon in a way so as to explain why these items occur at all, why they have persisted?
The central concern is with the source of order and stability in society.
The focus is on:

1. The way social institutions help to maintain order and continuity in social life.
2. The way structural arrangements in society influence behaviour.

It may be said that functional analysis is a method which refers to factors and forces of integration, equilibrium and also disequilibrium. At a given time, inter-relation between components of society can be studied from functional point of view.

Objectivity means being unbiased, neutral or based on facts alone:

1. In case of social science, especially sociology, objectivity becomes more complicated because, like every human, there are some notions perceived by sociologists which make it difficult for him/ her to study the culture and norms of a different society in a neutral manner. This can lead to incorrect research.
2. The sociologist who is conducting a research can also get biased if the issues are related to his/ her society and can imply his/ her personal notions to that study. Hence, despite of being reflexive there are chances of unconscious bias.
3. There are many versions of truth in the social world. A boy and an old person would have different notions on a particular thing. A shopkeeper and a customer would have different ideas regarding the 'good price' of a product. Thus, there is no universal truth in social sciences, making them difficult to arrive at a conclusion.
4. Sociology is a 'multi-paradigmatic' science. There are different schools of thought that sometimes contradict each other. As a result, 'objectivity' becomes complicated in social sciences, especially sociology.

Some of the criteria involved in selecting a representative sampling are:

1. The representative sampling is done in such a way that it represents and recognises all the relevant groups of the particular community.

For example if the lifestyle of working women in India has to be studied then five samples would be collected, each from the organized sector and unorganized sector. Then the combined study is conducted on the basis of these samples.

2. These samples are randomly selected, that is, they are to be selected on the basis of chance. This process is known as randomisation and depends on probability. The randomisation is done through lottery method, rolling of dice, use of random number tables prepared for this purpose and random number generated by calculators and computers.

Steps in Research:

1. Selection of a specific problem (relevant, current): The problem should have sociological significance. Define and formulate the problem. Reviving literature/ secondary research-use different sources e.g. Internet, magazine together information about the problem (reliable sources). Find out information about a specific aspect of the problem. This helps to formulate a conceptual framework. Now the path for the research is paved. Formulating a hypothesis. Assumption/ tentative, conclusion/ opinion of the researcher on certain aspects of the problem - may/ may not be true.
2. Measurement - [Quantitative and Qualitative]: By assigning values to variables that can be measured by features, attributes etc. It means research from abstract to concrete and further to a conclusion. It involves validity and reliability-reliable sources and measuring.

What do you want to measure objectively? When the researcher gets the same result, if he conducts a research in the same way as another researcher in the same circumstances by using quantitative methods like statistics and analysis of data.

3. Choosing a research design/ technique: Survey is the best research technique. It is a method used to gather information about a particular issue/ problem and also finding out the views of people and/ or interests of people. It is the most common/ effective method of research. It is usually quantitative.

Sample survey: A small audience represents the population. These are selected from an area and they represent the whole area.

Random survey: It is done asking people randomly (people selected at random) and they represent the population.

In a survey, there are three most common ways:

• Questionnaire.
• Interview.
• Case study.

4. Collection of Data: After the questionnaire is formed, it is distributed and data is collected from respondents.

Depending upon the problem, "the respondents are selected".

Keep in mind the age/ gender/ class and the kind of questions when distributing the questionnaire.

5. Analysis and interpretation of Data: After the data is collected the whole information is analysed and interpreted. Analysis is always in percentages specially for close ended questions (choices).

E.g. Yes–75%

No-15%

6. Evaluation: Conclusion of the whole analysis and the interpretation of the data.

Summary of all the questionnaires/ hypothesis:
Includes:

1. Summary.
2. Whether your hypothesis has been proved or not.
3. Problems the researcher faces while doing the research such as:

• Dishonesty.
• No interest.
• Incomplete.
• Stupid answers.
• No time.
• Shyness.
• If someone was offended by a certain question etc.
• More serious problems.

Besides survey, other methods of collecting data can be used:

• Ethnography: Field work, stay with population for months and find out the stuff.
• Archives: Historical facts.
• Do commentary: (make a movie about it).

Participant observation is a micro method used in conducting field work. Its strengths and weaknesses are mentioned below:
Strengths:

1. It provides a very rich and detailed picture of the people on whom the research is being conducted.
2. The sociologist can talk to the native people of the community directly which helps in the authenticity of the data.
3. The sociologist is free to ask endless number of questions to the person. This is not possible in case of questionnaire and survey.
4. A daily record is maintained which reduces the chances of incomplete data.
5. It helps in correcting initial impressions that may often be biased.
6. Because of the long hours spend with the field many errors and biases are avoided that are present in other methods.

Weaknesses:

1. The method involves a lot of time and effort.
2. It also involves lot of expenses during the work.
3. It is not necessary that the report consists of the views of the insider or of the sociologist, as the sociologist may become consciously or unconsciously bias in selecting what to write and what not to.
4. There is no other version available to check or confirm the findings except the sociologist him/ herself.
5. The sociologist or anthropologist is only able to study a very small community. Therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that the observation of the study of the village is really common in the larger community.
6. The report of the sociologist based on participant observation method is often criticised to be biased by other sociologists because of the one-sided relationship they project. Hence, it is advised that the report should be translated in the local language of the community so that the people of the community can read and make sure that the report contains proper information.

The basic elements of the survey method are:

1. Survey is the best method applied in studying a large area.
2. It is mostly based on random sampling.
3. These samplings are done in such a way that the samples represent every strata and characteristics of the community.
4. Random sampling is preferred to avoid biasness.
5. Interviews and questionnaire techniques are used in sampling method.
6. The questionnaire can be filled by the respondent at his place and sent through post or the sociologist himself may go to the respondent and complete the questionnaire.
7. The questionnaire can be filled and sent through email.
8. The interview can be conducted online or on telephone.

Its main advantages are:

1. Survey method is the best known sociological method. In situations where census is not possible survey method is used.
2. It gives an accurate picture of the community through sampling.
3. In comparison to census or participant observation, less time and money is spend.
4. It provides a real picture that is made on the basis of collective representativeness than on single individuals.
5. Many problems are visible at this level, which cannot be identified at the micro level research.

The main features of interview are:

1. It is conducted in the form of conversation which is shaped by certain guidelines and questions between the researcher and the respondent.
2. It is used in surveys and participant observation method.
3. The interview is flexible in its structure.
4. This flexibility can lead to a change in the mood of the respondent or lack of concentration, which is one of its disadvantages.
5. Some interviewers have very structured format with specific questions whereas some have loosely structured format with only a check-list of topics rather than the actual questions.
6. During interview the interviewer can ask cross questions or other questions that are required during the process which are not possible in a questionnaire.
7. Use of recorders and other equipments are also taken during the interview. Their use makes the respondent uncomfortable that introduces a degree of formality into the conversation, which is another disadvantage.
8. The mode of recording depends on the social and physical circumstances in which the interview is conducted.
9. The authenticity of this method also depends on the memory of the interviewer after it is conducted.
10. Sometimes important information goes unnoticed or it is not at all recorded.
11. On a whole, a good interview is often based on the rapport build by the researcher with the interviewer.