The study of the sociological approach and research methods focuses on the epistemological and practical processes sociologists use to gather data about society. It encompasses the debate between Positivism (viewing sociology as a science seeking causal laws) and Interpretivism (seeking to understand social meaning). The module examines the design, application, and evaluation of primary research methods (such as questionnaires, interviews, and observations) and secondary sources (such as official statistics and documents). Crucially, students must evaluate these methods through the 'PET' framework: Practical issues (time, cost, access), Ethical issues (consent, harm, privacy), and Theoretical issues (validity, reliability, representativeness).
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