Page 142 - DSOC404_METHODOLOGY_OF_SOCIAL_RESEARCH_ENGLISH

Methodology of Social Research

notes the last stage, using different averages, the frequencies are made simpler and then represented using
graphs and charts.
Importance—Quantitative method is very helpful in sociological study, especially in cases where
measurements values are abundant. for example, population of a category, rate of crime, export from
country, etc questions are related to measurement. therefore, they are solved using measurement.
Prof. Giddings was the first sociologist who attracted the attention of scholars towards the importance
of computation in this field.
limitations—in this method, we make records and lists. But this does not convey complete information
about the internal reasons. in order to complete this gap, we require the use of qualitative methods.
3. Historical Method—Bottomore has written clarifying the historical method, “In this method,
there is a combination of a special sequence of preferences of the problems for the research and
philosophy. It focuses attention on the birth, development and enactment related problems of
social organizations, societies, etc. It is affiliated to the complete stretch of human-history and the
predominant organizations of the society, the example of which is the works of Compete, Spencer
and Hobhouse.” thus, this method recommends using human history to study the social events and
social organizations.
Later, the developmental perspective was included in the historical method and the complete
development cycle of any social organization was explained on an evidence basis using history.
Westermark’s creation ‘History of Human Marriage’ and openheimer’s work ‘the state’ are based on
this development sequence in the historical method. According to Bottomore, “the modern awareness
towards the problem of social development is nearly completely focussed on industrialization and
economic development.”
in this situation, it is natural that there will be some development of narrowness and rigidity in the
developmental plans. the truth is that the rise of resulted-oriented economy and the geographical
definition of history by Karl Marx are examples of these narrow developmental principles.

Task express your views about historical method.

4. Comparative Method—According to Bottomore, “Comparative method was considered the best
method in sociology for a long time. Firstly it was used by developmental sociologists but its
use does not necessitate affiliation with historical method.” Durkheim in his work ‘the rules of
Sociological Method’ has also tried first to establish the importance of comparative method.
Using the comparative method, one can find the general reasons for growth start and end of different
organizations and beliefs of different societies. thus, we can know the general motivating factors
functional in human-society which are responsible for unity among different organizations or different
organs of a society. in reality, while using comparative method, one should compile the data related to
society and weigh them against real examination-test and thus should detach oneself from emotional,
philosophical, etc. views so that the comparative work and the laws are free from any bias.
To follow the comparative method, there can be primarily two types of problems- (1) Lack of
scientific imagination and (2) Problem of definition of unit of comparison. For example, written by
Compte ‘Law of three stages’ is based upon the view of the development of mankind rather than
scientific imagination
5. Structural Functional Method—this method was developed to eliminate the ambiguity and non-
reliability of historical and comparative methods. this method was extensively used by Malinowski,
radcliffe Brown, Durkheim, Merton, etc.

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