Considerations Influencing Sociological Research

Considerations influencing research

A number of factors influence research at all stages. These factors can be divided into theoretical, practical and ethical.

Theoretical factors primarily concern whether the researcher takes a broadly positivist or interpretivist approach. Firstly, in terms of the topic studied, sociological researchers form different theoretical perspectives are more likely to study some areas of research than others. For example, functionalists will conduct research in order to prove the integration of social functions, and in an attempt to prove their theory of value consensus; marxists will study class differences in attempt to prove their theory that the masses are exploited by the ruling class; and feminists will study the position of women in society in attempt to prove their hypothesis that women are oppressed by men. The interpretation of the final data could also be effected by theoretical influence, as it may depend on what they are looking for. ...