Sociology research methods practical issues with documents help???

It asked for two practical disadvantages and i said evidently access issues as schools may not allow for documents to be seen, and that there are evidently validity issues when using documents in research as you cannot prove their credibility if they're old / may be lying?

Reply 1

username2864242

This question was really annoying - wish it had been something easier like participant observation or questionnaires.

I put something about how hard it would be for researchers to obtain personal documents like letters, and the issue of confidentiality with official documents.

Just a shame I ran out of time on this one.

Reply 2

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

Did you think what i put are practical disadvantages? Its rather broad.. also, how did others find it that you knew? Did you evaluate with practical advantages?

Reply 3

username2864242

Original post by jmounsey

Did you think what i put are practical disadvantages? Its rather broad.. also, how did others find it that you knew? Did you evaluate with practical advantages?

Gaining access to the documents definitely is a practical issue, but I'm not so sure about credibility. I think that one is more of a theoretical issue.

Practical issues normally relate to how easy it is to conduct the research; e.g. how limiting cost would be, how time-consuming it is.

My friend said she quite liked it, as it was quite a straightforward question.

It was only an 'outline and explain' question, so evaluation wasn't really necessary. The question was literally asking for two practical disadvantages and for you to explain them a little. If the question had been asking for you to 'analyse' then some evaluation might have helped.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 4

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

Could you have a look at my other question (what i wrote for the 30 marker) and see what you think? I've been stressing

Reply 5

username2864242

Original post by jmounsey

Could you have a look at my other question (what i wrote for the 30 marker) and see what you think? I've been stressing

Of course. What did you write for the 30 marker?

Reply 6

jmounsey

I just did my paper one for sociology, it was on education with methods - for the 30 marker the question was regarding the role of education in transmitting ideas and values - of which i argued regarding functionalism v marxism, then functionalism in terms of role allocation arguing against it saying the 'role allocation' actually benefits men, i.e women into caring roles benefits men in te home as they act as a pressure valve for men in terms of marxist feminism. Then how education's ideas are now more diverse and arent as structured and reflect that we are in a post fordist system and the inclusion of faith schools are a key example of how education is becoming more diverse. But in the end, schools values and ideas benefit the middle classes more as the middle classes have the cultural capital and benefit the most- thus their is a myth of meritocracy that despite schools becoming more diverse, the class structure is still upheld.

Reply 7

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

Of course. What did you write for the 30 marker?

Reply 8

username2864242

Sounds good to me! You included the main arguments of ideology/values from functionalist, Marxist and feminist perspectives, like I did. I think I wrote something about postmodernism as well, but I'm not sure how relevant it was to be honest.

Reply 9

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

How many theorists did you use? I didn't use any for post moderism arg, just policies after 2010 - and i wasnt sure who argued regarding marxist feminism for my point, but do you think the concepts are more important than the names?

Reply 10

username2864242

Original post by jmounsey

I used Durkheim and Parsons for functionalism, and Althusser and Bowles and Gintis for Marxism. You could have used Fran Ansley for the Marxist feminist 'pressure valve' argument - she described women as 'takers of ****' upon whom men would release their frustrations at experiencing alienation in employment.

I definitely think that the concepts are more important than the names. The concepts can be used to create a good argument, and the names are just bonus points.

Reply 11

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

You're right.. i've learnt a good lesson that if i think it is the correct name for the concept, that it probably is - need to trust myself. I was debating in my head thinking it was Eli Zaretsky, but I'm happy i got the concept in. How are you feeling for thursday? Do you do Family and Media?

Reply 12

username2864242

Original post by jmounsey

Definitely the way to go. Even if it isn't the right one, you can't lose marks for putting it. Not too great, if I'm honest, but hopefully I'll get all the information into my head before the exam. How are you feeling about it? I do family, with beliefs in society instead of media.

Reply 13

jmounsey

Original post by poeticwhirlwind

The theorists have been good and remember able in education / methods / mainly for family - but Media (and probably for the same with beliefs) is that the names are forgettable. There are no stand alone big names like there are in education, so its proving a challenge to remember them at all.. Do you feel the same?