Notes: Quantative & Quantative methods | Sociology Mains Optional for UPSC 2024 PDF Download

 Page 1


 
 
3. Research Methods and 
Analysis 
a. Qualitative and Quantitative 
methods. 
  
Page 2


 
 
3. Research Methods and 
Analysis 
a. Qualitative and Quantitative 
methods. 
  
 
 
Before we begin, let’s have a look at what Yuval Noah Harari writes in his book 
Sapiens. 
 
He writes that Modern Science differs from all traditional forms of science in 3 ways: 
 
1. The willingness to admit ignorance 
2. Centrality of observation and mathematics 
3. Acquisition of new powers (science not just interested in creating theories, it also 
wants to apply itself in creating newer technologies) 
(always remember the difference between Science and Tech. – Science is theory, 
Technology is applied, Practical part of science) 
 
Also remember Scientific revolution feedback loop: 
 
 
Political and Economic institutions provide resources for research to be taken up.  
There is re-investment of resources from research, so as to better it continuously. 
 
 
 
 
  
Resources
Research
Power
Page 3


 
 
3. Research Methods and 
Analysis 
a. Qualitative and Quantitative 
methods. 
  
 
 
Before we begin, let’s have a look at what Yuval Noah Harari writes in his book 
Sapiens. 
 
He writes that Modern Science differs from all traditional forms of science in 3 ways: 
 
1. The willingness to admit ignorance 
2. Centrality of observation and mathematics 
3. Acquisition of new powers (science not just interested in creating theories, it also 
wants to apply itself in creating newer technologies) 
(always remember the difference between Science and Tech. – Science is theory, 
Technology is applied, Practical part of science) 
 
Also remember Scientific revolution feedback loop: 
 
 
Political and Economic institutions provide resources for research to be taken up.  
There is re-investment of resources from research, so as to better it continuously. 
 
 
 
 
  
Resources
Research
Power
 
 
SCIENTIFIC QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY 
 
POSITIVISM 
1) Introduced by Comte – sociology as a science of society based on positive 
philosophy  
2) This conception of positivism involves search for laws that uses both reason as 
well as observation. That is, it is neither purely inductivist nor purely deductivist. 
3) Durkheim: study of suicide and social facts (enriched positivism) 
4) Use of statistical data 
5) Correlation (b/w different social facts- Durkheim protestants and high suicide) 
6) Causation- to find cause and effect but possibility of third factor 
7) Multivariate analysis: isolating effect of particular independent variable on 
dependent variables 
8) Use of computer software to study statistical significance of correlation 
9) Theorisation: to form laws of human behaviour eg Durkheim (suicide), Comte 
(3 types of society) 
10) Inductive methodology  
 
Critical evolution: 
Karl Popper in his book ‘the logic of scientific discovery’ promotes idea of deductivism 
and falsification (no theory is absolutely true, need to keep testing) 
 
 
  
Page 4


 
 
3. Research Methods and 
Analysis 
a. Qualitative and Quantitative 
methods. 
  
 
 
Before we begin, let’s have a look at what Yuval Noah Harari writes in his book 
Sapiens. 
 
He writes that Modern Science differs from all traditional forms of science in 3 ways: 
 
1. The willingness to admit ignorance 
2. Centrality of observation and mathematics 
3. Acquisition of new powers (science not just interested in creating theories, it also 
wants to apply itself in creating newer technologies) 
(always remember the difference between Science and Tech. – Science is theory, 
Technology is applied, Practical part of science) 
 
Also remember Scientific revolution feedback loop: 
 
 
Political and Economic institutions provide resources for research to be taken up.  
There is re-investment of resources from research, so as to better it continuously. 
 
 
 
 
  
Resources
Research
Power
 
 
SCIENTIFIC QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY 
 
POSITIVISM 
1) Introduced by Comte – sociology as a science of society based on positive 
philosophy  
2) This conception of positivism involves search for laws that uses both reason as 
well as observation. That is, it is neither purely inductivist nor purely deductivist. 
3) Durkheim: study of suicide and social facts (enriched positivism) 
4) Use of statistical data 
5) Correlation (b/w different social facts- Durkheim protestants and high suicide) 
6) Causation- to find cause and effect but possibility of third factor 
7) Multivariate analysis: isolating effect of particular independent variable on 
dependent variables 
8) Use of computer software to study statistical significance of correlation 
9) Theorisation: to form laws of human behaviour eg Durkheim (suicide), Comte 
(3 types of society) 
10) Inductive methodology  
 
Critical evolution: 
Karl Popper in his book ‘the logic of scientific discovery’ promotes idea of deductivism 
and falsification (no theory is absolutely true, need to keep testing) 
 
 
  
 
 
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT and SOCIOLOGY 
 
Why sociologists don’t use lab experiment 
1) Unnatural situation while society is natural 
2) Artificiality of situation can lead to loss of ecological validity  
3) Payne and Payne – Getting informed consent is difficult without altering 
behaviour (ethical issue) 
4) Payne and Payne - Human beings are complex; matching one with other is 
impossible 
5) Alan Bryman says that human beings as an independent variable cannot be 
manipulated beyond an extent ex: changing male to female 
6) Impossiblity of fitting entire society into lab 
7) Longitudinal Studies can’t be conducted - Difficult to keep subjects long in lab 
to study social change 
 
Some examples of lab experiment 
a) Weber’s charismatic leaders were found to be most effective 
b) Children were impacted by viewing violent images 
 
 
  
Page 5


 
 
3. Research Methods and 
Analysis 
a. Qualitative and Quantitative 
methods. 
  
 
 
Before we begin, let’s have a look at what Yuval Noah Harari writes in his book 
Sapiens. 
 
He writes that Modern Science differs from all traditional forms of science in 3 ways: 
 
1. The willingness to admit ignorance 
2. Centrality of observation and mathematics 
3. Acquisition of new powers (science not just interested in creating theories, it also 
wants to apply itself in creating newer technologies) 
(always remember the difference between Science and Tech. – Science is theory, 
Technology is applied, Practical part of science) 
 
Also remember Scientific revolution feedback loop: 
 
 
Political and Economic institutions provide resources for research to be taken up.  
There is re-investment of resources from research, so as to better it continuously. 
 
 
 
 
  
Resources
Research
Power
 
 
SCIENTIFIC QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY 
 
POSITIVISM 
1) Introduced by Comte – sociology as a science of society based on positive 
philosophy  
2) This conception of positivism involves search for laws that uses both reason as 
well as observation. That is, it is neither purely inductivist nor purely deductivist. 
3) Durkheim: study of suicide and social facts (enriched positivism) 
4) Use of statistical data 
5) Correlation (b/w different social facts- Durkheim protestants and high suicide) 
6) Causation- to find cause and effect but possibility of third factor 
7) Multivariate analysis: isolating effect of particular independent variable on 
dependent variables 
8) Use of computer software to study statistical significance of correlation 
9) Theorisation: to form laws of human behaviour eg Durkheim (suicide), Comte 
(3 types of society) 
10) Inductive methodology  
 
Critical evolution: 
Karl Popper in his book ‘the logic of scientific discovery’ promotes idea of deductivism 
and falsification (no theory is absolutely true, need to keep testing) 
 
 
  
 
 
LABORATORY EXPERIMENT and SOCIOLOGY 
 
Why sociologists don’t use lab experiment 
1) Unnatural situation while society is natural 
2) Artificiality of situation can lead to loss of ecological validity  
3) Payne and Payne – Getting informed consent is difficult without altering 
behaviour (ethical issue) 
4) Payne and Payne - Human beings are complex; matching one with other is 
impossible 
5) Alan Bryman says that human beings as an independent variable cannot be 
manipulated beyond an extent ex: changing male to female 
6) Impossiblity of fitting entire society into lab 
7) Longitudinal Studies can’t be conducted - Difficult to keep subjects long in lab 
to study social change 
 
Some examples of lab experiment 
a) Weber’s charismatic leaders were found to be most effective 
b) Children were impacted by viewing violent images 
 
 
  
 
 
FIELD EXPERIMENT 
 
Because of inability to perform lab experiment. 
 
Intervening in social world such that hypothesis can be tested by isolating particular 
variables  
Ex - study done by J.W. Sissons (an actor dresses up like businessman and a labourer, 
asked direction, businessman gets most replies) 
 
Natural experiment: when researcher doesn’t intervene and simply observes 
 
Problems 
- Not completely possible to control variables as directed 
- Presence of researcher can effect results (Hawthorne effect) 
- Problem of informed consent (ethical issues) 
- Mostly confined to small scale studies for short period