Question 1. What is a 'grand theory'?
a) One that was proposed by one of the major theorists in the sociological tradition
b) One that is highly abstract and makes broad generalizations about the social world
c) An intermediate level explanation of observed regularities
d) A particularly satisfactory theory that makes the researcher feel happy
Question 2. What does an empiricist believe?
a) We should not apply natural science methods to social science research
b) It is the sociologist's aim to understand the meaning of social action
c) Knowledge, in the form of 'facts', should be gained through sensory experience
d) Research conducted within the British empire was biased and unreliable
Question 3. An inductive theory is one that:
a) Involves testing an explicitly defined hypothesis
b) Does not allow for findings to feed back into the stock of knowledge
c) Uses quantitative methods whenever possible
d) Allows theory to emerge out of the data
Question 4. What is the epistemological position held by a positivist?
a) There is no substitute for an in-depth, hermeneutic understanding of society
b) Scientific research should be based on value-free, empirical observations
c) Events and discourses in the social world prevent us from having direct knowledge of the natural order
d) It is important to remain optimistic about our research, even when things go wrong
Question 5. The interpretivist view of the social sciences is that:
a) Their subject matter is fundamentally different to that of the natural sciences
b) We should aim to achieve the interpretive understanding of social action
c) It is important to study the way people make sense of their everyday worlds
d) All of the above
Question 6. Which of the following is an ontological question?
a) Should I use questionnaires or interviews in my project?
b) What can (and should) be considered acceptable forms of knowledge?
c) How long is it since I last visited the dentist?
d) Do social entities have an objective reality, external to social actors?
Question 7. The constructionist ontological position suggests that:
a) Social phenomena and their meanings are constantly being accomplished by social actors
b) Individuals are born into a world of rules and structures that they cannot change
c) Building and construction work presents an ideal opportunity to exercise the sociological imagination
d) Social facts and objects have an external reality, independently of the people who perceive them
Question 8. The qualitative research strategy places a value on:
a) Using numbers, measurements and statistical techniques
b) Generating theories through inductive research about social meanings
c) Conducting research that is of a very high quality
d) All of the above
Question 9. Which of the following is an example of value-free research?
a) Conscious partiality
b) Sympathy for the underdog
c) Unstructured interviewing
d) None of the above
Question 10. An important practical issue to consider when designing a research project is:
a) Which theoretical perspective you find most interesting
b) Whether or not you have time to retile the bathroom first
c) How much time and money you have to conduct the research
d) Which colour of ring binder to present your work in