Evaluation of Sociological Methods - Essay Example

Evaluation of Sociological Methods Sociology is simply the study of society. It is a science that studies the social lives of the people who form groups/societies and interact with each other in some meaningful way. Sociology itself is a relatively new academic discipline and came into acceptance as a science only in the early part of the nineteenth century. As with any science, there are certain accepted methods for experiments as well as the testing of hypotheses and there is some debate over which sociological method is most applicable to the science. In fact, it can be said that no single method is the best since a combination of methods is often needed in many cases for a successful result. Many fundamental discoveries in sociology have been made, reviewed, established, evaluated and adjusted according to new data in the past decades. However, the current position in sociological research is looking at tools and techniques which could not have been imagined a few decades ago (Platt, 1996). The application of the scientific method of study to sociology created the first revolution and the information age can be said to bring about the second revolution for all fields of study. This is especially true in sociology since the ability to crunch numbers at light speed is only possible with the use of new and powerful computers. While the modern methods of research and analysis have had an important effect on the field, scientists are also concerned about their overuse and a lack of focus on actually performing the study and too much attention on the analysis and twisting of the results. Indiscriminate application of technology and statistical tools can only result in situations where the application of sociology is more or less meaningless (Chatterjee, 2004). Some human conditions can not be described in percentages or in terms of numbers and require more than simply pushing buttons. Sociologists apply methods and techniques which result in statistical figures used by governments and the media and we are often told that one can prove anything with statistics. While tricks may be played with statistics, there is no doubt that the scientific methods needs to be applied for it to give results that are useful. We can debate all we want about qualitative/quantitative evaluations, micro/macro assessments and inductive/deductive reasoning but unless the scientific method is applied any research can be doubted. With the correct application, statistical sources and various methods for research and analysis are invaluable tools but misuse and unethical applications of the same tools will lead to problems. The image of the sociologist as a survey researcher who crunches numbers to find out information about society is not the exact truth since the methods of research also include the study of historical documents, works done in other regions and by other writers even breakthroughs in other fields can become important study requirements for a sociologist (Johnson, 1990). Throughout the application of these methods, a sociologist has to be aware of the ethical standards which must be maintained at all times. However, a balance needs to be maintained on the attention given to the methods of sociological research. A preoccupation with the modern methods could even lead to the loss of significance in terms of the substance of the research. While topics like death and dying are not getting the attention they deserve (Chatterjee, 2004) lesser topics are being approached and reproached with the same tools while sociologists try and replicate or refute the findings of other researchers. Even a field like nursing has connections with the ethics of sociology due to the close contact nurses have with their patients in a socially stressful setting. Johnson (1990) suggests that empirical studies should be made of the case for the sociological analysis in the practice of nursing. Since experience and deduction alone are insufficient to provide care to the patients without basing them on sound sociological principles. He further recommends that the basing of moral issues in nursing should be kept in sociology, thereby ensuring that ethical and acceptable solutions to moral questions. At the same time, there are others who feel that sociological principles and research methods are not useful in certain situations as in the case of death and dying (Chatterjee, 2004). This is because sociologists often apply the same method for analyzing those who are very ill as to those who are actually in the process of dying. It is a matter of semantics, but it changes the research methodology totally. Chatterjee (2004) argues that the level of emotional trauma for someone who is facing death is very different from a person who has a terminal disease and can accept that they are going to die. In fact, the article goes on to say that even a systematic sociological inquiry into a person mind will not be sufficient to see what they are thinking since the issue of death is so complex and complicated. Every traditional method of sociological research will be unsuccessful in gaining a full understanding of the mind of the person who is facing death. Since no method would work, sociologists will need to find a new method to understand the process of dying which might even ask for modifications of some long standing theories (Chatterjee, 2004). In recent times, the use of focus groups for study and analysis has come to the forefront of sociological research and it is felt that this method is quite possibly the best as a result of the favourable comparisons it has drawn with surveys and interviews. It has been appreciated by sociologists as well as a wide range of academic researchers from different fields. Focus groups can be used as both a self-contained method and in concordance with other research techniques, e.g. individual short questions and in-depth interviews (Morgan, 1996). The comparison between focus groups and survey/interviews shows that there are several advantages which can be gained in a focus group discussion that may not be present in interviews/surveys. Focus groups provided more information which was consistent across different groups and different studies. Because the participants could give more input based on suggestions of others and give their situational comparisons after listening to statements made by others, the amount of information volunteered to the scientists was considerably increased (Morgan, 1996). The role of the sociologist as a moderator in a focus group has also been given special attention since that gives the ability to guide the conversation towards a particular target. While this is an advantage if the discussion needs to remain focused on a topic, it can also be a disadvantage if it creates a narrow vision for the study and does not permit looking into other avenues which could be opened up in a one on one interview which is not guided towards a singularly focused topic (Morgan, 1996). While focus groups are a valuable research method for sociologists, the advantages of using focus groups can be heightened considerably if the researchers pay attention to the design of the experiment as well as the formulation of their hypothesis and research questions (Morgan, 1996). At the same time, it must be realized that certain situations will pose ethical questions for the use of focus groups especially in medicine and allied fields where privacy is often a critical as well as legal issue (Johnson, 1990). Finally, there are also certain situations which deal with topics which are so delicate that no application of sociological research methods is sufficient to provide answers. It is up to the researchers of the future to figure out ways and means to handle these situations to best of their abilities. If we look at the historical evidence presented in the field of sociology, we can see that methods of research have evolved to a current state where acceptability of a method is often directly connected with the value created from the research it supports (Platt, 1996). From the current research trends and the scientists working on the topics of today, it is easy to say that the future holds some very important discoveries as well as the creation of new methods which will be accepted and established in their own time. In conclusion, the current methods for the study of sociology as well as those used to add to the field are deeply connected with technology but it must be ensured that they do not become overly dependant on technology alone. While new methods will be created and old methods rediscovered, it is important for sociologist to continue to be ethical in both the application of a method and in the analysis of the findings. Works Cited Chatterjee, S. (2004). Understanding the Experiential world of the dying: Limits to Sociological Research. Journal of Death & Dying, 49(2), p91-98. Johnson, M. (1990). Natural sociology and moral questions in nursing: can there be a relationship? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15(12) 1358-1362 Morgan, D. L. (1996). Focus Groups. Annual Review of Sociology, 22(1) 129-153 Platt, J. (1996). A History of Sociological Research Methods in America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Read More