Sociology and Cultural Anthropology Research Methods Used Essay

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Sociology and Cultural Anthropology

Research Methods used in Sociology

Closed or Structured Questionnaires and Participant Observation are among the many research methods used in sociological studies.

Structured questionnaire is a quantitative research method that was postulated by Emile Durkheim. It is positivist in nature and is comprised of low researcher involvement and high respondents' participation. A questionnaire is, in fact, a series of questions posed to individuals for obtaining statistically useful information about a certain subject matter. If a questionnaire is appropriately created and sensibly controlled, it becomes an imperative tool to make accurate and acceptable statements about particular groups or people or whole populace. Social research often uses questionnaires as it is a helpful method to collect ample information from a large number of individuals. In order for a survey to be successful, sufficient questionnaire creation is important. Any survey that has badly chosen questions, incorrect questions' arrangement, erroneous scaling, or bad format can prove to be worthless and insignificant as it may not exactly reveal participants' thoughts and opinions (Trueman).

Census is another sociological research method by which all people and households in a country are counted. It helps in attaining the complete information about the population of a country/area. Census is imperative as efforts are made to include everyone. It is the only research method by which a detailed picture of the whole population is obtained. It is unique in every sense as "it covers everyone at the same time and asks the same core questions everywhere" (Trueman).

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Due to census, it becomes easier to contrast and evaluate different parts of the country. The information obtained after conducting a census helps the central and local government and other major authorities and organizations to target their assets and funds more efficiently and plan accordingly for future development and progression (Trueman).

Philosophical Justification of Structured Questionnaire

The philosophical justification for a structured questionnaire is that it provides real knowledge that is the resultant of human observation of objective reality. The sanity of respondents is "used to accumulate data that are objective, discernible and measurable" (Crossan). The supporters of positivist research methods claim that any information derived through other means must be abandoned as transcendental (Crossan).

Research Methods used in Cultural Anthropology

Historical Analysis and Cross-Cultural Comparison are among the many research methods used by the cultural anthropologists.

Every one knows that the account past events or combination of events is known as history. Thus, a historical analysis is a research method in which cultural anthropologists use past records and accounts to analyze and interpret what happened in the ancient times. Historical analysis is significantly useful in qualitative studies as it helps in the establishment of background before observing or interviewing participants. The researchers categorize historical data into primary (oral testimonies, relics etc.) or secondary (accounts contained in historical content, encyclopedias etc.).….....

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