Question

1. What are the main characteristics of positivism? How do these characteristics apply to sociology? How do they not apply? How did you find this information?
2. Name some aspects of society, as you know it, which are more appropriate to being studied from a positivistic approach than others. Why have you chosen these aspects? Name some aspects that would be difficult to study using a strictly positivistic approach.
3. What is the meaning of ideological bias? How does ideological bias influence sociological research? What are the ideologies that you might be subject to as a sociology student in Canada? How are your beliefs and values similar or different to those promoted by ideologies such as capitalism, socialism, and heterosexism? (hint)
4. What difference is there between the "big lie" techniques of propaganda used by Hitler in the Second World War, techniques founded on stereotypes and distortions, and the techniques used by governments to gain support for social policies such as welfare cutbacks and tax breaks for large corporations?
5. What do you think of the argument that sociological thinking should be value-free? Is it possible to accumulate empirical data without examining it in the light of a particular set of beliefs and values? What is the sociologist's responsibility in this? Is it enough for a sociologist to interpret social events and social practices or is there a need for more critical approach?
6. Suggest at least two different worldviews that might give boundaries to your understanding of an important local or global event, for example, the war in Iraq, the killing of Dudley George, the suicide of Kimberly Rogers, or another event which caught your attention. Create an image of the various beliefs, values, and experiences that this worldview would encompass.

Answer 1

The main characteristics of positivism are four in number. the first one is viewing science as the only source of knowledge. The second one is the presence of evidence of proof supporting the hypothesis. The third one is the identification of the general principle that fits both science and explanation of human behavior in society. The fourth one is its denial regarding metaphysical knowledge.
They apply to sociology concerning proving the hypothesis for sociology research works. For example, increasing incidents of suicide in society is owing to the social structure that society follows. Here, the structure of society where suicide is more prevalent is compared to society with a different structure and a decrease in the suicide rate there.
There are several areas where positivists can go wrong. This is because, it is not possible to predict all human behavior as the same keeps on varying based on country, culture, environment, etc. The subjective realities of participants under research are very much complex and that the result cannot be duplicated in many situations due to this complexity.