INTROUDUCTION

• Sociology is called a social science because it studies society, social groups, institutions, norms, and relationships, which are familiar to everyone.

• The difference between a sociologist and a layperson lies in method—the systematic procedures used to gather knowledge.

• Method is crucial in sociology because it determines how knowledge is acquired, not just what is known.

• Sociology focuses on the lived experience of people, going beyond what is merely observable.

• Sociologists adopt the point of view of the people they study to understand meanings from their perspective.

• Examples include understanding the significance of friendship, religious rituals, or market interactions from the actors’ own experiences.

• Sociology requires understanding both the outsider’s perspective and the insider’s perspective, highlighting the importance of method in the discipline.

SOME METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

• Methodology refers to the study of method, not just a synonym for method.

• Methodological issues concern general problems of scientific knowledge-gathering that extend beyond any specific method, technique, or procedure.

• Sociologists focus on ways to produce knowledge that can be considered scientific.

Objectivity and Subjectivity in Sociology

• In everyday language, objective means unbiased, neutral, or fact-based, while subjective is based on individual values and preferences.

• All science aims to be objective, producing unbiased knowledge based on facts, but this is harder in social sciences than in natural sciences.

• Natural scientists (e.g., geologists, botanists) study the world outside themselves, whereas social scientists study the social world in which they live, creating challenges for objectivity.

• Bias arises because sociologists are part of the society they study; personal experiences, values, and social context can influence research.

• Sociologists guard against bias through self-reflexivity (reflexivity), constantly examining their own attitudes and trying to adopt an outsider’s perspective.

• Careful documentation of methods and sources allows others to retrace steps, ensures transparency, and helps check one’s own reasoning.

• Sociologists disclose relevant social background that might influence their work to alert readers of potential bias.

• The social world contains multiple, competing interpretations of reality, e.g., different views on prices, food, or values, making singular truth hard to determine.

• Sociology focuses on understanding what people think and why, rather than judging which interpretation is correct.

• Sociology is a multi-paradigmatic science, meaning multiple competing schools of thought coexist, adding complexity to objectivity.

• Traditional notions of disinterested objectivity are considered outdated, but objectivity remains a goal as part of a continuous, ongoing process rather than an already achieved state.