Major theoretical strands of research methodology[1]

Among the many problems and questions that the social sciences have dealt with in the last 150 years, most have touched, in one way or another, upon the issue of the production of "meaning" of varying types of social realities. Thus, while Karl Marx emphasized the socio-historical study of social system, Max Weber's focus was on the "intended meaning" underpinning a social action.

Therefore in order to construct a meaning some methodology is used.

Method and methodology

Methodology is concerned with both the detailed research methods through with data are collected, and the more general philosophies upon which the collection and analysis of data are based. Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie a particular study. Although the distinction betweeen methods (what you do) and methodology ( why you do it) is in some ways a forced or artificial one – collecting data (using a research method) would be fairly pointless exercise if the resons for such collection were not clear.

This leads us to a number of theorectical issue involved in deciding for a research methodology.

Many early sociologists chose to turn to natural science for a methodology on which to base their subject. However, not all sociologists have agreed that it is appropriate to adopt the methodology of the natural sciences. For these sociologists, studying human behaviour is fundamentally different from studying the natural world. Unlike the subject matter of, for example, chemistry or physics, people possess consciousness, which means (from the point of view of some sociologists) that sociology requires a different type of methodology from science.

In the above terms, it was possible to identify some broad theoretical strands within sociology under which all the research methodologies tend to fall:

1. The issue of use of either positivist or non-positivist methodologies
2. Some advocate the use of quantitative methods (numerical statistical methods) and those who supported the use of qualitative methods.
3. The use of inductive or deductive logic in reaserch methodologies.

Positivist or non-positivist methodologies

Quantitative methods and qualitative methods[2]

Those who see social world as essentially amenable to ‘scientific’ study, tend to employ quantitative methods. Those who stress social life as a shared construction and unnameable to scientific type of enquiry tend to employ qualitative methods. This is, of course, an over-simplification.

Inductive and deductive approach to research method[3]

The development and testing of theory is perhaps the primary objective of science. Theories are the lifeblood of science. Theories can be developed in two main ways, Induction and deduction.

Induction involves observing the world and developing explanations of regularities. Facts in ‘real’ world are collected, Recognition of Patterns is done and a Theory is developed called the inductive theory. Deduction involves comparing theoretical expectation with what actually goes on in the world.

Sociological Imagination in social research

The sociological imagination is the sociological vision, a way at looking at the world that can see connections between the apparently private problems of the individual and important social issues. The sociological imagination requires us, above all, to ‘think ourselves away’ from the familiar routines of our daily lives in order to look at them anew. Sociological imagination argues for a humanist sociology connecting the social, personal and historical dimension of our lives and which is critical of abstracted empiricism and grand theory alike. Consider the simple act of drinking a cup of coffee. What could we find to say, from a sociological point of view, about such an apparently uninteresting piece of behaviour? An enormous amount. We could point out, first of all, that coffee is not just a refreshment. It has symbolic value as part of our day-ta-day social activities. Often the ritual associated with coffee-drinking is much more important than the simple act of consuming the drink. In all societies, drinking and eating provide occasions for social interaction and the enactment of rituals - and these offer a rich subject matter for sociological study.

Adopting a sociological imagination allows us to see that many events which appear to concern only the individual actually reflect larger issues. Divorce, for instance, may be a very difficult process for someone who goes through it – what Mills calls a ‘personal trouble’. But divorce is also a significant ‘public issue’ in many societies across the world. In Britain, over a third of all marriages ends in divorce within ten years. Therefore, the use of sociological imagination in social science research leads us to the larger picture. It allows us to generalize from experiences in everyday life.

Although in recent years, some sociologists have questioned the need for such a rigid division between quantitative and qualitative methodology, Positivist and non-positivist methods,  inductive and inductive methods, have advocated combining the two approaches. Other sociologists have advocated methods associated with critical social or with postmodernism.