Page 68 - DSOC404_METHODOLOGY_OF_SOCIAL_RESEARCH_ENGLISH

Methodology of Social Research

notes Man, Maclenin,Tayolr; Frejor, Levi, Brahul, etc. are worth quoting. Social developmental researchers
have used historical and comparative method together. founder of sociology, “Auguste Compt” has
used this method to compare the various stages of social development. in the, “law of three stages” he
has described and compared the theological or fictitious stage, metaphysical or abstract stage, scientific
or positive stage. Harbart spencer has compared and found out the similarities between society and
savyav. on the basis of this he has declared a society as a savyav. He has also compared different
societies. Durkheim in his book ‘the rules of sociological Method’ has described the importance of
this method. He has compared the rate and factors responsible for suicide in various european nations
and presented it in, “the social Principles of suicide”.
Max Weber has used comparative method on six major religions of the world to demonstrate the
mutual relationship between capitalism and protestant religion and suggested that only protestant
religion has such financial nature that give rise to modern capitalism. Wislor has divided Africa and
America into different cultural regions to compare their cultural aspects. By doing so he wanted
to find out the factors responsible for cultural development, expansion and change. Charles Booth
from England had used comparative method to study five industrial cities comprising of London,
B.s. rountry, york city, Boule, Wurnet Hurst. in this way, since a long time many social researchers
have used this technique to study the similarities and dissimilarities, evolution, development and
devastation of various societies, cultures and organizations.

Did You Know? framin has said, “the foundation of comparative method is the greatest
success of our era”

9.5 Meaning and Definition of Comparative Method

We make use of comparative method in our day-to-day life. We often compare politicians,
adminstrators, teachers, workers and friends and declare them as good or bad, right or wrong,
competent or incompetent, etc. Comparative method is used in natural and social sciences and all
sciences. We can compare the various nations on the basis of their financial status, life-style, population
increase, development, happiness and well-being, We compare rural and urban life and derive so many
results and conclusions. According to radcliff Brown, comparative method can be used to solve two
types of problems. (i) the problems that are related to present and (ii) the problems that are related
to past or future. Comparative method has also been widely used in research relating to education.
Comparative method not only means that they present the comparison between the incidents
happening but they are set up with an aim or motive. in this reference Ginsberg writes, “ the task of
comparative method is not only of comparison between the two incidents but also giving explanation
for those using the comparison made.” from the thoughts of Ginsberg it is clear that if in comparative
method the incidents were not explained and were aimlessly compared then then method will not
be considered successful.
Herskovits has written about comparative method, “in comparative method the developmental
sequence of human institutions and beliefs is established by comparing the difference between the
human nature.”
Comparative method has been used along with the historical and evolutionary development methods
because historians and evolutionists have been using this to compare the evolution of modern social,
financial, political, cultural and religious institutions with ancient institutions. But in the present
time it has discreet existence. By use of this technique, researcher compares various social incidents

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