SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS-2 (SEMESTER-6) ADORNO

CHAPTER 1- THE CONCEPT OF ENLIGHTMENT

For Kant, Enlightenment liberates us from authority. Those who hold authority—have mystery. The priest has special access to the mystery of religion; it is through him where God comes towards us. The Enlightenment says that human reason is capable of answering all the questions that the previous authority had answers to. When you have a rational claim, you’ve laid a path that someone else can easily follow to the same conclusion. The light of the Enlightenment leads to knowledge in this respect. For Kant, this frees us from authoritarianism; we now understand the light of the world from our own reason.

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) RESEARCH PROCESS

Social research is the act of gathering data that can help a person to answer the questions about the various aspects of the society. These questions can be generalized, or very specific in terms of the problems.

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) FIELD (Akhil Gupta and James Ferguson + MN Srinivas)

In the context of sociological research, the term ‘field’ refers to the members of a social group which is the prime object of study for a social scientist. In its early phase, Malinowski and Radcliffe-Brown laid the foundations of intensive fieldwork among anthropologists in Britain. However, in Indian context, it was M.N. Srinivas who strongly advocated for the ‘field-view’ of Indian society in place of the ‘book-view’. Book-view of Indian society was largely championed by the Indologists like B.K. Sarkar, G.S. Ghurey, Radhakamal Mukerjee, Irawati Karve. Indologists claimed that Indian society could be understood only through the concepts, theories and frameworks of Indian civilization. They believed that an examination of the classical texts, manuscripts, archaeological artefacts, etc. should be the starting point for the study of the present. 

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) OBSERVATION

The observation method is the primary technique for collecting data on non- verbal behavior. It most commonly involves sight or visual data collection, but might also include data collection via the other senses, such as hearing, touch or smell. Observations are often codices preliminary to surveys, and sometimes also be conducted jointly with document study or experimentation. There are two chief types of observation - participant and non-participant.  

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) HYPOTHESIS

The Function of the Hypotheses A hypothesis states what one is looking for in an experiment. When facts are assembled, ordered and seen in a relationship, they build up to become a theory. This theory needs to be deduced for further confirmation of the facts, this formulation of the deductions constitutes of a hypothesis. As a theory states a logical relationship between facts and from this, the propositions which are deduced should be true. Hence, these deduced prepositions are called hypothesis. 

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) SAMPLING

Sampling is the statistical process of selecting a subset (called a “sample”) of a population of interest for purpose of making observations and statistical inferences about that population. Social science research is generally about inferring patterns of behaviors within specific populations. And since we cannot study entire populations because of feasibility and cost constraints, and hence, we must select a representative sample from the population of interest for observation and analysis.

RESEARCH METHODS-2 (SEMESTER-6) INTERVIEW STUDIES

ADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEW STUDIES