Methods of research in sociology. Methods of sociological research

Sociological research methods
1. Survey method.
1.1. Questioning.
1.2. Postal survey.
1.3. Interviewing.
2. Method of information analysis.
3. Method of peer review.
4. Method of experiment.
5. Measurement of social attitudes.
Conclusion.
After the object and subject of sociological research have been determined and those aspects and features of them that require special attention have been established, the task of identifying the quantitative parameters of these aspects and features arises. To do this, in the language of sociologists, it is necessary to go through the field stage of research. The name of this stage successfully reflects the essence of this process.
During the field stage of the study, various methods can be used to collect sociological information. Each of them has its own characteristics, implies certain requirements.
The purpose of this essay is to determine what they are and what techniques need to be mastered in order to skillfully use these methods in practice.
1. Survey method
The survey method is not an invention of sociologists. In all branches of science, where a researcher turns to a person with questions to obtain information, he deals with various modifications of this method. For example, doctors, finding out the course of the disease and the previous state of health of the patient, conduct anamnestic surveys. Lawyers, finding out the circumstances of the case from witnesses, also use the survey method, specifically study its psychological aspects and the possibility of assessing the reliability of answers. Journalists, educators, social workers, and many other areas of social practice use this method to obtain information of interest to them.
The specificity of the method lies, first of all, in the fact that when it is used, the source of primary sociological information is a person (respondent) - a direct participant in the studied social processes and phenomena. There are two types of survey related to the written or oral form of communication with respondents - questioning and interviewing. They are based on a set of proposed survey questions, the answers to which form the primary information.
Each survey option is one of the most complex varieties of socio-psychological communication, due to a number of circumstances: the content of the questionnaire or interview, that is, the list of questions in which the subject of the study is implemented; the quality of the work of the questionnaire or interviewer; the respondent's concentrated work on the proposed questions; the psychological state of the respondent at the time of the survey.
The survey method, based on a sufficient number of trained questionnaires or interviewers, allows you to interview a fairly large number of respondents in the shortest possible time and obtain information that is different in nature.
However, one should always take into account the possible distortion of information obtained by the survey method, associated with the peculiarities of the process of reflecting various aspects of social practice in the minds of people.
1.1. Questionnaire
The most common type of survey in the practice of applied sociology is the questioning. It can be group or individual.
Group survey is a survey used mainly in organizations (places of work, study, etc.).
In case of individual questioning, questionnaires (questionnaires) are distributed at workplaces or at the place of residence of the respondent. Recently, a one-time survey (using electronic forms of communication: telephone, E-mail) has become widespread.
A sociological questionnaire is a system of questions united by a single research idea aimed at identifying the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of an object and subject of analysis. Its purpose is to provide reliable information. To do this, you need to know and follow a number of rules and principles for its design, as well as the features of various issues. When compiling questionnaires, it should be taken into account that the question should be equally clear to different socio-demographic groups of respondents (young and old, people with different education, etc.).
All questions can be classified: by content (questions about the facts of consciousness, the facts of behavior and the personality of the respondent); in form (open and closed, direct and indirect); by function (basic and non-core).
Questions about the facts of people's consciousness are aimed at revealing opinions, wishes, expectations, plans for the future, etc. Questions about the facts of behavior reveal the actions, actions, results of people's activities. Questions about the personality of the respondent reveal his personal characteristics (gender, age, etc.).
A closed question is called if it contains a complete set of answers in the questionnaire. After reading them, the respondent chooses only the one that matches his opinion. Closed questions can be alternative and non-alternative. Alternative ones suggest the possibility for the respondent to choose only one answer, and non-alternative ones - several answers.
Open-ended questions do not contain hints and do not "impose" the answer option on the respondent. They provide an opportunity to express your opinion in its entirety and to the smallest detail, so they provide richer information than closed questions.
Direct and indirect questions. Sometimes the questions of the questionnaire require the respondent to take a critical attitude towards himself, the people around him, evaluate the negative phenomena of reality, etc. Such direct questions in some cases either remain unanswered or contain inaccurate information. In such cases, questions formulated in an indirect form come to the aid of the researcher. The respondent is offered an imaginary situation that does not require an assessment of his personal qualities or the circumstances of his activities.
The main questions of the questionnaire are aimed at collecting information about the content of the phenomenon under study. Minor - to identify the addressee of the main question (filter questions), check the sincerity of the answers (control questions).
1.2. Post survey
A mail survey is a kind of questioning and is legitimately considered as an effective method of collecting primary information. In its most general form, it consists in sending out questionnaires and receiving answers to them by mail.
An important advantage of the mail survey is the ease of organization. There is no need for the selection, training, control over the activities of a large number of questionnaires. Another positive feature is the possibility for the respondent to choose the most convenient time for filling out the questionnaire.
However, the mail survey also has its drawbacks. The main one is the incomplete return of the questionnaires, that is, not all respondents fill out the questionnaires and send them to the researchers, so it may turn out that the opinions of the respondents do not coincide with the opinions of those who abstained from participating in the mail survey.
A variation of the mail survey is a press survey. In this case, the questionnaire is printed in a newspaper or magazine. There are two types of such a survey. One is when the editorial office turns to a survey in order to obtain data about its readers and their opinions about the work of this publication. The second is when an opinion on a topical issue is studied through a printed organ.
1.3. Interviewing
During interviewing, the contact between the researcher and the respondent is carried out with the help of the interviewer, who asks questions provided by the researcher, organizes and directs the conversation with each individual person, and records the answers received according to the instructions. This survey method requires more time and money than questionnaires, but at the same time, the reliability of the data collected is increased by reducing the number of non-responders and errors when filling out the questionnaires.
Features of the interview are manifested in different ways in its various organizational forms. Let's consider them.
Interview at the place of work, classes, that is, in the office. It is most expedient when production or educational teams are being studied, and the subject of research is related to production or educational affairs.
Interview at the place of residence. It becomes preferable if the subject of the survey concerns such issues that it is more convenient to talk about in an informal setting, free from the influence of official or educational relations.
In applied sociology, there are three types of interviews: formalized, focused and free.
Formalized interview - the most common type of interview. In this case, the communication between the interviewer and the respondent is strictly regulated by a detailed questionnaire and instructions intended for the interviewer. When using this type of survey, the interviewer must strictly adhere to the wording of the questions and their sequence.
Focused interview - the next step, leading to a decrease in the standardization of the behavior of the interviewer and the interviewee. It aims to collect opinions, assessments about a specific situation, phenomenon, its consequences or causes. Respondents in this type of interview are introduced to the subject of the conversation in advance. Questions for such an interview are also prepared in advance, and their list is obligatory for the interviewer: he can change their sequence and wording, but he must receive information on each question.
Free interview is characterized by minimal standardization of the behavior of the interviewer. This type of survey is used when the researcher begins to define the research problem. A free interview is conducted without a pre-prepared questionnaire or a developed conversation plan; only the topic of the interview is determined.
2. method of information analysis
Document analysis is one of the widely used and effective methods of collecting and analyzing primary information. Documents with varying degrees of completeness reflect the society of society. They contain information about the processes and results of human activity; as a result, documentary information is of great interest to sociologists.
Types of documents. This concept in applied sociology primarily refers to various kinds of materials (documents) intended for storing and transmitting information.
There are a number of reasons for classifying documents. By status, documents are divided into official and unofficial; in the form of presentation - written (more widely - verbal) and statistical. According to their functional features, documents are classified into informational, regulatory, communicative and cultural-educational.
Of fundamental importance for the researcher are official documents that reflect public, social and economic ties in society. All these documents are compiled and approved by state or other bodies, institutions and can act as legal evidence.
The study of informal documents is of great importance. Among them, personal documents stand out, such as diaries, memoirs, personal correspondence, notes of a professional nature. Unofficial documents make it possible to reveal the deep socio-political mechanisms of the formation of value orientations, to understand the historical conditioning of stereotypes of behavior, to find a basis for identifying social types in society.
One more reason for the typology of documents should be singled out - their intended purpose. Allocate: documents created independently of the researcher, and documents "targeted", that is, prepared exactly in accordance with the program, the tasks of sociological research. The first group includes those documents whose existence is neither directly nor indirectly determined by the technique of conducting sociological research: official documents related to the research topic, statistical information, press materials, personal correspondence, etc. The second group of documents includes: answers to open questions of the questionnaire and texts of interviews, records of observations reflecting the opinions and behavior of respondents; certificates from official and other organizations, commissioned by researchers; statistical information collected and generalized in the orientation of a particular sociological research.
The information contained in documents is usually divided into primary and secondary. In the first case, we are talking about the description of specific situations, the coverage of the activities of individual subjects of society. Secondary information is of a more generalized, analytical nature; it, as a rule, reflects more deeply hidden social ties.
Criteria for selecting documents for study. Independent stages of the analysis of documents - the selection of sources of information and the acquisition of a selective set of materials to be analyzed. The basis for this is the research program.
As a means of checking the reliability, reliability of information and at the same time analyzing their content, there is an "external" and "internal" study of documents. External analysis is the study of the circumstances of the emergence of the document, its historical and social context. Internal analysis is actually the study of the content of the document, everything that the text of the source testifies to, and those objective processes and phenomena that the document reports.
Types of document analysis. In all the variety of research methods used in the study of documents, there are two main types: qualitative analysis (sometimes called traditional) and formalized, also called counter-analysis. Although these two approaches to the study of documentary information differ in many ways, they can complement each other to a fairly high degree, since these two methods together will give a comprehensive look at the problem.
Qualitative analysis often serves as a prerequisite for the subsequent formalized study of documents. As an independent method, it acquires special significance when studying unique documents: their number is always extremely small and therefore there is no need for quantitative information processing. Therefore, the essence of the traditional approach lies in an in-depth logical study of the content of documents.
The desire to avoid subjectivism to the maximum extent, the need for sociological study and generalization of a large amount of information, the orientation towards the use of modern computer technology in processing the content of texts led to the formation of a method of formalized, qualitative and quantitative study of documents (content analysis).
With this method, the content of the text is defined as the totality of the information contained in it, assessments, combined into a certain set of a single concept, design.
The procedure for a formalized analysis of documents begins with the identification of two units of analysis: semantic (qualitative) and counting units. The purpose of the study is to find indicators that indicate the presence in the document of a topic that is significant for analysis, and reveal the content of textual information.
The activity (problematic) approach turns out to be fruitful in the analysis of texts. In this case, the entire text is considered as a description of a specific problem situation in which there are a number of subjects and relationships between them. In a formalized analysis of documents, the activity itself is comprehensively considered, and its subjects, goals and motives for the actions committed by them are singled out; circumstances, reasons that gave rise to the need for a particular activity (inactivity is also a type of activity); object of its direction.
3. Method of peer review
Such forms of collecting primary sociological information as questionnaires, interviews, postal surveys, telephone interviews, impersonal surveys using the Internet or E-mail capabilities are intended primarily for mass surveys. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they are aimed at identifying information that reflects the knowledge, opinions, value orientations and attitudes of residents, their attitude to any phenomena of reality. And the fact that this information is based on the individual interest of the respondent and can be very subjective does not at all contradict the scientific method of obtaining it. On the contrary, the purpose of the mass survey is to obtain reliable information about the subject and object of research using the appropriate tools.
The above problems are dealt with by experts. An expert is a competent person who has deep knowledge about the subject or object of research.
How to form a group of experts? At the very first stage of selection, it is advisable to use two criteria as criteria: occupation and length of service in the profile of interest to us. If necessary, the level, nature of education, age are also taken into account. Central among the criteria for selecting experts is their competence. To determine, two methods are applicable, with varying degrees of accuracy: self-assessment of experts and collective assessment of the authority of experts.
The simplest and most convenient form of self-assessment of experts is a cumulative index calculated on the basis of experts' assessment of their knowledge, experience and abilities on a rank scale with positions of "high", "medium" and "low". In this case, the first position is assigned the numerical value "1", the second - "0.5", the third - "0". In this case, the total index - the coefficient of the expert's competence level is calculated by the formula:
where k1 is the numerical value of the expert's self-assessment of the level of his theoretical knowledge,
k2 - numerical value of self-assessment of practical experience,
k3 - numerical value of self-assessment of the forecasting ability.
The coefficient of the level of competence ranges from 0 to 1. Usually, it is customary to include in the group of experts those who have a competence index of at least an average of 0.5 and above -1.
The collective assessment method is used to form a group of experts in the case when they have an idea about each other as specialists. This situation is typical for scientists, artists, politicians, and economists.
Forecast. It most clearly shows the difference between an expert assessment and information obtained as a result of a mass survey. It consists in striving for consistency, uniformity of opinions and assessments expressed by experts. Indeed, is it possible to use for practical purposes, say, the opinion of thirty experts, if they include 5-7 mutually exclusive prognostic estimates? Further, the reliability of data in a mass survey, as well as some average statistical indicators, is higher, the larger the population of respondents. In principle, a predictive expert assessment is feasible for any social processes and phenomena.
Applied sociology has developed a number of techniques for interviewing experts used to obtain a predictive estimate. At the same time, it is appropriate to note that some of the technical and methodological techniques that are widely used in mass surveys lose their significance when interviewing such a specific audience as experts. As a rule, mass surveys are anonymous. In expert surveys, this makes no sense, because experts must be fully aware of the tasks that are solved in the course of the study with their help. Therefore, there is no need to use indirect or control questions, tests or any other methods in the expert questionnaire, aimed at revealing the "hidden" positions of the respondent. Moreover, the use of such techniques can cause significant damage to the quality of peer review. An expert in the full sense of the word is an active participant in scientific research. And an attempt to hide from him the purpose of the study, thus turning it into a passive source of information, is fraught with a loss of his confidence in the organizers of the study.
The main toolkit of the expert survey is a questionnaire or an interview form developed according to a special program.
Unlike a mass survey, the program of a predictive survey of experts is not as detailed and is predominantly conceptual. In it, first of all, the phenomenon to be predicted is unambiguously formulated, and possible variants of its outcome are provided in the form of hypotheses.
Quite often used in applied sociology is such a method of expert forecasting as the "Delphin technique". It consists in the development of agreed opinions by repeatedly repeating the survey of the same experts. After the first survey and summarizing the results, its results are reported to the members of the expert group. Then a second survey is conducted, during which the experts either confirm their point of view or change the assessment in accordance with the opinion of the majority. Such a cycle contains 3-4 passes. In the course of such a procedure, an assessment is developed, but at the same time, the researcher, of course, should not ignore the opinion of those who, after repeated surveys, remained on their point of view.
Assessment of the degree of reliability of the results of mass surveys. In the process of developing managerial decisions with the help of sociological research, the question often arises about the reliability of mass research and, accordingly, about the legitimacy of the conclusions formulated on their basis. In a word, we are talking about assessing the competence of the opinions expressed by the respondents.
To do this, an expert's questionnaire is compiled, which includes mainly closed questions, which are identical in structure to the questions formulated in the respondent's questionnaire. The expert's task is to express an unbiased, comprehensively balanced assessment on the issues raised, taking into account the objective situation and the factors of interest to the researcher.
Certification of team members. In recent years, in the practice of researching the state of ideological and educational work, such a kind of expert assessment method as attestation has been widely used. At the same time, the heads of the team, public organizations or a special attestation commission take on the role of experts.
4. Method of experiment
Experiment is one of the most peculiar and difficult to master methods of collecting sociological information. The very name of this method, which has a very loud sound, fascinates and causes special respect.
The experiment is best carried out under relatively homogeneous conditions, initially in small (up to several dozen) groups of subjects. The object with the help of which but is carried out often acts only as a means for creating an experimental situation.
In the experiment, the researcher has a fairly large freedom of choice of experimental groups, although he is obliged to adhere to certain criteria for their selection. The criteria are primarily the characteristics of the object itself, the stability or change of which is provided for by the requirements and conditions of the experiment.
The general logic of the experiment is to follow the direction, magnitude and stability of changes in the characteristics of interest to the researcher, which can be called control.
The success of the experiment depends to a large extent on the creation of appropriate conditions. There are at least three things to keep in mind here:
. the characteristics that are most important from the point of view of the problem being studied, the creation of an experimental situation are selected as control ones;
. the change in the control characteristics should depend on those characteristics of the experimental group that are introduced or changed by the researcher himself;
. the course of the experiment should not be affected by those phenomena that do not belong to the experimental situation, but are potentially capable of changing its state.
Types of experiment and methods of selection of experimental selection of groups. Experiments differ both in the nature of the experimental situation and in the logical structure of proving hypotheses.
By the nature of the experimental situation, experiments are divided into "field" and laboratory. In a field experiment, the object of study is in the natural conditions of its functioning. Under the conditions of a laboratory experiment, the experimental situation, and often the experimental groups themselves, are artificially formed. Therefore, group members are usually aware of the experiment.
According to the logical structure of the proof of hypotheses, linear and parallel experiments are distinguished:
A linear experiment is different in that the same group is analyzed, which is the control (its initial state), experimental (its state after changing any of its characteristics). That is, even before the start of the experiment, all control, factorial and neutral characteristics of the object under study are clearly recorded.
Two groups simultaneously participate in a parallel experiment: control and experimental. Their composition should be identical in all control, as well as neutral characteristics that may affect the outcome of the experiment. The characteristics of the control group remain constant throughout the entire period of the experiment, while those of the experimental group change.
The pairwise selection method is mainly used in a parallel experiment. Its essence is as follows. Two groups are selected from the general population in such a way that they are identical in terms of neutral and control, but differ in factor characteristics. After that, the conditions are the same for both groups, and after a while the effect of the experiment is measured by fixing and comparing the parameters of the control signs in both groups.
In a linear and parallel experiment, the method of structural modification can be used. In this case, in a linear experiment, the group is selected so that it is a micromodel of the general population in terms of neutral and control characteristics.
The method of random selection is identical to the previously considered methods of probabilistic sampling with a predetermined volume. As a rule, it is used in field experiments with a large (up to several hundred) number of experimental groups.
Planning and logic of the experiment. The preparation and conduct of the experiment require a consistent solution of a number of questions:
1. Determining the purpose of the experiment;
2. Selection of the object used as the experimental group;
3. Selection of the subject of the experiment;
4. Selection of control, factor and neutral features;
5. Determining the conditions of the experiment and creating an experimental situation;
6. Formulation of hypotheses and definition of tasks;
7. Choice of indicators and method for monitoring the course of the experiment;
8. Determining the method of fixing the results;
9. Checking the effectiveness of the experiment.
5. Measurement of social attitudes
Recently, in connection with the rapid surge of social, including political, activity of the population, studies of the relationship between various groups of society (national, political, etc.), as well as the relationship between these groups and social institutions (authorities, associations, mass media, etc.).
Often the basis of such, sometimes conflicting relationships is the difference in interests, value orientations or worldviews, which act as an incentive motive for mass behavior that does not always take a socially favorable form.
Taking into account the overdue relevance of using accurate and effective methods for studying new social phenomena and processes generated by the restructuring of the country's social life, in this section we will talk about the rules for constructing the most effective scales for measuring attitudes.
Self-assessment scale. This is the simplest type of installation measurement scale. It can be constructed in the form of a regular question or in the form of a numerical axis with positive and negative gradations.
When constructing a self-assessment scale in the form of a "traditional" question, its positions are necessarily arranged symmetrically and consist of an equal number of positive and negative assessments separated by a "neutral" position.
Ranking scale. It is distinguished by the feature that the results of measuring attitudes with its help are analyzed in accordance with the rules applicable to ranking scales.
The simplest method of measuring attitudes according to the rules of such a scale is the ranking by the respondents of those objects, the relation to which the researcher is interested in on their part. Thus, in order to identify the chances of success of one or another candidate in multi-mandate elections, respondents are asked to arrange cards with the names of candidates in order of preference. In this case, all objects are significant from the point of view of the subject of study. The result of the ranking will give information about the chances of candidates to be elected.
A more complex version of measuring attitudes using a rank scale is the method of paired comparisons. Its essence lies in the fact that the objects indicated on the cards (their names) for evaluation in pairs are shown in turn to the respondents, suggesting that they indicate the more preferable one. In this case, all possible combinations of pairs of objects are subjected to such a comparative assessment. The number of paired combinations (Q) formed in the study of respondents' attitudes relative to a certain number of objects (n) is calculated by the formula:
The complexity of applying the method of paired comparisons lies in the fact that with an increase in the number of objects to be assessed by the respondent, the number of pairs increases sharply.
Bogardus scale. Its main purpose is to measure national and racial attitudes. The peculiarity of this scale is that each assessment (opinion, position) automatically includes all the following and excludes all the previous one. The question for her has the following wording: "What kind of relationship with a representative of such and such a nationality is acceptable to you?"
. marriage relations;
. personal friendship;
. be neighbors;
. Be co-workers;
. Be residents of one city, town, village;
. Be fellow citizens of the same area;
. Be fellow citizens of the country;
. I don't mind if they leave the country.
Experience shows that such scales can be built and successfully used to measure attitudes towards phenomena in various areas of social relations.
Semantic differential method. This method was developed by Osgood. It is based on the principle of association between the concept denoting the object of assessment, and certain verbal antonyms that characterize the direction and intensity of the assessment. Examples of such combinations: pleasant - annoying, clean - dirty, kind - cruel.
To improve the accuracy of attitude measurement with the help of a semantic differential, a numerical axis is placed between antonyms, as a result of which a 5- or 7-point scale is obtained for each pair of antonyms.
Let us give an example of measuring the socio-psychological climate of the collective. "What qualities characterize relationships in your department?" Mark with a cross the corresponding rating in each line
The overall assessment of the intensity and directivity of the measured installation is calculated by the formula:
where xi - arithmetic mean on the i-th scale;
i - number of scales (in our case - 3);
z - number of scale positions (in our case - 7);
W changes from +1 (all positive setting) to -1 (all negative setting).
To build complex scales for measuring attitudes, semantic differential and tests, it is advisable to resort to the help of psychologists.
Conclusion
No matter how the sociological data are obtained, by themselves they still do not allow drawing generalized conclusions, identifying trends, testing hypotheses - in a word, solving the tasks set in the research program. In order for the received primary information to begin to give real results, it must be processed into the appropriate form, and then generalized, analyzed and scientifically interpreted.
Bibliography:
1. Rozhansky E.L. Lecture course.
2. Gorshkov M.K., Sheregi F.E. How to conduct sociological research. M., Politizdat, 1990.
3. Kirsheva N.V., Ryabchikova N.V. Psychology of personality: tests, questionnaires, methods. - M., 1995.
4. Shevandrin N.I. Social psychology in education. - M., 1995.

When conducting sociological research, the following main methods of collecting information are most often planned, which are included in the methodological part of the program (Fig. 2).

Fig.2. Classification of sociological research methods

Document Analysis . This method allows you to get information about past events that are no longer monitored.

The study of documents helps to identify trends and dynamics of their changes and development. The source of sociological information is usually text messages contained in protocols, reports, resolutions and decisions, publications, etc. A special role is played by social statistical information, which in most cases is used to characterize the development of the process or phenomenon under study.

Equally important is coitent-aiali h, which is actively used in media research, being an indispensable method of grouping texts. The analysis is based on the use of uniform indicators (indicators) for searching, accounting and calculating the mass character of certain characteristics of the text.

The tasks solved by this method follow a simple scheme: who said what, to whom, how, with what purpose and with what result.

Poll - the most common method of collecting primary information. Almost 90% of all sociological data are obtained with its help.

In each case, the survey involves an appeal to a direct participant and is aimed at those aspects of the process that are little or not amenable to direct observation at all. That is why the survey is indispensable when it comes to the study of those meaningful characteristics of social, group and interpersonal relations that are hidden from the outside eye and reveal themselves only in certain conditions and situations.

During the study, the following types of surveys are used (Fig. 3).

Fig.3. Survey types

Depending on the source (carrier) of primary sociological information, mass and specialized surveys are distinguished. AT mass poll The main source of information is representatives of various social groups whose activities are not directly related to the subject of analysis.

Participants in mass surveys are called respondents.

AT specialized surveys the main source of information is competent persons whose professional or theoretical knowledge, life experience allow making authoritative conclusions. In fact, the participants in such surveys are experts who are able to give a balanced assessment of the issues of interest to the researcher.

Hence another widely used name in sociology for such surveys - expert polls or ratings.

There are three main types of sociological survey: questioning, conversation and interviewing.

Questionnaire – a written survey conducted according to a certain plan, involving the receipt of respondents' answers to a list of questions and statements ordered by content, either one-on-one or in the presence of a questionnaire.

The following types of surveys are used (Fig. 4).

Fig.4. Types of survey

Questionnaire (French - investigation) - a questionnaire, independently filled out by the interviewee according to the rules specified in it.

Questionnaire- a series of questions and statements ordered in content and form, presented in the form of a questionnaire, which has a rigidly fixed order and structure.

Press survey- This is a type of survey in which questionnaires are published in print. This type of questioning practically excludes the possibility of the researcher to influence the formation of the sample.

Handout survey provides for the personal delivery of the questionnaire to the respondent. Its advantages are in the personal contact of the researcher with the respondent, it makes it possible to advise the respondent on the rules for filling out the questionnaire, to assess the respondent's compliance with the intended sample.

Question - a thought expressed in an interrogative expression aimed at clarifying or supplementing knowledge.

Closed questions are accompanied by possible answers, while open questions require a direct answer to the question. The main tools used in the course of the survey are questionnaires.

Interview - an oral survey conducted according to a certain plan, in which there is direct contact between the interviewer and the respondent, and the latter's answers are recorded either by the interviewer (his assistant) or mechanically.

During the interview, the following types of interviews are used (Fig. 5)

Fig.5. Types of interview

Free interviews use verbatim recording, tape recording, or recording from memory. In standardized interviews, responses are coded according to the questionnaire.

The following requirements are imposed on the interview: the correct choice of the place of the interview; the need for an introductory speech (introduction, purpose of the study, importance of the study, guarantee of anonymity); the neutral position of the interviewer during the conversation; creating a favorable atmosphere for communication; recording interview data.

Conversation - a type of survey based on a thoughtful and carefully prepared conversation between a researcher and a competent person (respondent) or a group of people in order to obtain information on the issue under study.

The conversation should be conducted in an atmosphere of relaxed and mutual trust according to a predetermined, well-thought-out plan, highlighting issues to be clarified.

Observation is a purposeful and systematized perception of the process or phenomenon being studied, the features, properties and features of which are recorded by the researcher. The forms and methods of fixation can be different: an observation form or diary, a photo, television or movie camera, and other technical means.

Focus groups , the methodology of which comes down to conducting an interview according to a pre-prepared scenario in the form of a discussion with a small group of “ordinary people” (as opposed to experts in an expert survey, “brainstorming”, etc.).

The main methodological requirement for the composition of this discussion group is its homogeneity, which eliminates the possibility of direct or indirect pressure of some members of the group on others. Therefore, researchers select focus groups from people who do not know each other of approximately the same age, the same sex, and a similar level of income. The formation of these groups should cover the main groups of the population so that the prevailing orientations in the minds and behavior of people can be represented. An important requirement is the size of this group, which allows you to support the discussion (with 4-5 participants, it can quickly die out, and with a significant number - 20-25 people, it will not allow all participants to fully express themselves).

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Topic: Research methods in sociology

Introduction page 3

Theoretical research methods p.4-5
Methods of empirical sociological research pp.5-11

Conclusion. pp.12-13

References page 14

Introduction.

My test paper is devoted to the question: Methods of research in sociology, but before talking about this issue, you need to expand your understanding of sociology: what is sociology?

Sociology is the science of society as an integral system and of individual social institutions, processes, social groups and communities, the laws of mass behavior of people.

Sociology, as an independent branch of scientific knowledge, uses a set of specific methods to study its subject. All methods of sociology can be divided into theoretical and empirical.

Each level of sociological knowledge has its own research methodology. At the empirical level, sociological research is carried out, which is a system of logically consistent methodological, methodological and organizational-technical procedures, subject to a single goal: to obtain accurate objective data about the social phenomenon under study.

The purpose of my examination is to expand and clarify ideas about the theoretical and empirical methods of research in sociology.

The task of my test is to tell what methods are included in theoretical research and what methods are included in empirical research, what they are and what they are for.

Question 1. Theoretical methods (structural - functional, comparative, etc.).

As a tool for theoretical research in sociology, as in philosophy, reflection is used - the process of comprehending something through study and comparison. The source material for the production of new scientific knowledge is already existing theories, the ideas of various scientists, which are synthesized with the researcher's own scientific views using various logical schemes, based on one or another theoretical paradigm. In the process of research, sociologists, as a rule, use such theoretical methods as systemic, structural-functional, synthetic, methods of logical interpretation, modeling, and a number of others.

occupies an important place in sociology structural-functional method. From the standpoint of this method, society is considered as a functional system, which is characterized by such a function of any system as stability. This stability is ensured through reproduction, maintaining the balance of the system of elements. The structural-functional approach makes it possible to establish general, universal patterns of the functional action of social systems. As a system, any social institution or organization can be considered, namely the state, parties, trade unions, church. The structural-functional approach is characterized by the following features:

The focus is on the problems associated with the functioning and reproduction of the social structure.

The structure is understood as a comprehensively integrated and harmonized system.

The functions of social institutions are determined in relation to the state of integration or equilibrium of the social structure.

The dynamics of the social structure is explained on the basis of the "principle of consensus" - the principle of maintaining social equilibrium.

Addition and adjustment of the structural-functional methodology serves as a comparative method. This method is based on the premise that there are certain general patterns of manifestation of social behavior, since there is much in common in the social life, culture, and political system of various peoples of the world. The comparative method involves comparing the same type of social phenomena: social structure, government, family forms, power, traditions, etc. The use of the comparative method expands the horizons of the researcher, promotes the fruitful use of the experience of other countries and peoples.

Question 2. Methods of empirical sociological research (observation, survey, testing, etc.)

Along with theoretical methods, sociology uses empirical methods. The starting material for empirical research is various opinions, judgments, social facts, semantic indicators, phenomena or processes that a sociologist tries to obtain and systematize using special methods of collecting and processing primary sociological information.

Empirical methods are divided into quantitative (classical) and qualitative. Some methods have their own varieties, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Quantitative methods of collecting sociological information include, first of all:

Survey Methods
Document Analysis
Observation
sociological experiment

The term "quantitative approach" in sociological research emphasizes the specifics of its form - primarily the mathematical form of knowledge representation. The results of quantitative studies are presented, as a rule, in the form of scales, tables, histograms, and their content is expressed in percentages and coefficients. The object of sociological analysis here is certain social communities (groups) chosen by the sociologist in accordance with the goals and objectives of the study. And now a little more about the types of empirical sociological research:

Proposing and testing hypotheses.

Hypothesis in social research- this is a scientifically based assumption about the structure of social objects, about the nature of the elements and relationships that form these objects, about the mechanism of their functioning and development. A scientific hypothesis can be formulated only as a result of a preliminary analysis of the object under study.

As a result of the study, the hypotheses are either refuted or confirmed and become the provisions of the theory, the truth of which has already been proven.

Observation

In sociological research, observation is understood as a method of collecting primary empirical data, which consists in a deliberate, purposeful, systematic direct perception and registration of social factors that are subject to control and verification. Observation contains a certain amount of objectivity, which is set by the very installation of fixing the occurring situations, phenomena, factors. However, there is also a subjective element to this procedure. Observation presupposes an inextricable connection between the observer and the object of observation, which leaves an imprint both on the observer's perception of social reality and on the understanding of the essence of the observed phenomena, their interpretation. The stronger the observer is connected with the object of observation, the greater the element of subjectivism, the greater the emotional coloring of his perception. Another important feature of the observation method, which limits its application, is the complexity, and sometimes even the impossibility, of re-observation.

Depending on the degree of standardization of the observation technique, two main varieties of this method can be distinguished.

A standardized observation technique involves a pre-developed list of events, signs to be observed, etc.
Non-standardized observation - the researcher determines only the general direction of observation, according to which the results are recorded in a free form directly during the observation process or later from memory.

Depending on the role of the observer in the situation under study, four types of observation are distinguished:

Full participation of the observer in the situation
Participant of the situation as an observer
Observer as participant
Completely observer.

The main advantages of the observation method is that it makes it possible to capture the details of a given phenomenon, its versatility. The flexibility of the method is another quality that is of no small importance in the study of social phenomena. And of course, the relative cheapness is an important feature inherent in this method.

Among the shortcomings, first of all, it should be noted (not quantitative) the nature of the conclusion that can be obtained as a result of observation. The method can rarely be applied to the observation of large populations and a large number of events.

Poll

Poll is the most common method of collecting primary information. Almost 90% of all sociological data are obtained with its help. In each case, the survey involves an appeal to a direct participant and is aimed at those aspects of the process that are little or not amenable to direct observation. That is why the survey is indispensable when it comes to the study of those meaningful characteristics of social, collective and interpersonal relations that are hidden from prying eyes and appear only in certain conditions and situations. Accurate information is provided by a continuous survey.

A more economical and at the same time less reliable way of obtaining information is a sample survey.

Questioning.

Distinguish between group and individual surveys. According to the method of distribution of questionnaires, polls are distinguished: using distributing questionnaires; Internet - survey, press, as an interview, questionnaires can be conducted at home, at work.

An example of a group survey can serve as a survey of schoolchildren in the classroom. The main advantage of group questioning is connected with its organizational accessibility and efficiency.

When using individual questionnaires with the help of a distributing questionnaire, the questionnaire either hands the questionnaire to the respondent, agrees on a return date at the next meeting, or explains the rules for filling out and the purpose of the survey, expects the questionnaire to be filled out right there.

Mail survey is a fairly popular method of interviewing a large population of people. Its weaknesses are the low percentage of return without the use of special techniques, the uncontrollable situation of filling out questionnaires, and the difficulties associated with these features in substantiating the representativeness of the sample of the target population.

The Internet survey is in the stage of intensive development and many of its advantages, disadvantages and methodology have yet to be developed and refined. The central problem of the Internet survey is the construction of a representative sample and the recruitment of respondents. In some cases, researchers try to combine an Internet survey with the usual traditional surveys of social groups that are not available on the Internet.

In any case, this approach does not guarantee the representativeness of the sample, and this problem remains a key one for the Internet survey methodology.

Sample survey

Aimed at the study of any social phenomenon or process on a set of objects selected by a special procedure from all possible sets of objects.

The principles of sampling are the basis of all methods of sociology - questionnaires, interviews, observations, experiments, document analysis. There are two main types of sociological survey - questionnaires and interviews.

During the survey, the respondent himself fills out the questionnaire with or without the presence of the questionnaire. According to the form of conducting it can be individual or group. In the latter case, a significant number of people can be interviewed in a short time. Interviewing offers personal communication with the interviewer, in which the researcher (or his authorized representative) himself asks questions and records the answers.

Description of work

My test paper is devoted to the question: Methods of research in sociology, but before talking about this issue, you need to expand your understanding of sociology: what is sociology?
Sociology is the science of society as an integral system and of individual social institutions, processes, social groups and communities, the laws of mass behavior of people.
Sociology, as an independent branch of scientific knowledge, uses a set of specific methods to study its subject. All methods of sociology can be divided into theoretical and empirical.
Each level of sociological knowledge has its own research methodology. At the empirical level, sociological research is carried out, which is a system of logically consistent methodological, methodological and organizational-technical procedures, subject to a single goal: to obtain accurate objective data about the social phenomenon under study.
The purpose of my examination is to expand and clarify ideas about the theoretical and empirical methods of research in sociology.
The task of my test is to tell what methods are included in theoretical research and what methods are included in empirical research, what they are and what they are for.

METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

They are divided into methods of collecting information and methods of its analysis. Among the first are various forms of survey (mass surveys, interviews, expert surveys and t. e.), observation , document processing. Among the methods of analysis of the material include the use of statistical. groupings, ranking, indexing, identification of quantities. dependencies between the studied variables. The use of electronic computing. technique allows using various forms of multivariate classification to analyze the array of received data (factorial, regression, dispersion), with which you can identify stable types based on a combination of a large set of features.

The question of the appropriateness of using a particular method in each given study is decided depending on the content of the problem under study, on the degree of its development in a liter, on the resources available to the researcher. Methodical the side of each study is to ensure the reliability and reliability of the data obtained, and, consequently, the novelty and truth of the final conclusions of the study. Special in solving these problems belongs to the organization of the sample, which should provide a certain. degree of correspondence between the surveyed and the general population. Determination of the measure of this correspondence, i.e. assessment of the representativeness of the sample in terms of the most important parameters is one of the important methodological. sides of each sociological. research. The reliability of the data obtained in the course of the study is ensured due to the observance of the defined. rules, firstly, when developing main research tools - forms, questionnaires, interview plans, observation cards, key concepts in the content analysis of documents and t. d.; secondly, when carrying out field work, i.e. when interviewing the surveyed population of respondents; thirdly, during the primary processing of the received materials - culling of the questionnaires, encryption and coding of the answers to the questions of the questionnaire. Each of these stages of work requires unique skills and definitions. specializations.

Thus, when developing a questionnaire, the track. rules: 1) the questionnaire should be subordinated to the topic and objectives of the study. To do this, each of the questions in the questionnaire must be correlated with the research objectives. This procedure should be recorded in the working version of the questionnaire. 2) The language of the questionnaire should be freed from common clichés, newspaper stamps and stereotypical expressions. It should be close to the colloquial speech of the surveyed population of persons and operate with situations that are sufficiently close and understandable to the respondents. The sequence of questions should be built in such a way that throughout the entire duration of filling out the questionnaire, the respondent is kept to it and stimulated to answer the questions. 3) When formulating "prompts" - the chosen answer options - it is necessary to avoid psychological. pressure on the respondent, imposing t. sp. most convenient for the researcher. It is necessary to observe the proportions in the selection of "posit." and "negative." judgments, pay attention to their location in the questionnaire itself. 4) The respondent should not solve complex tasks during the survey that take him a lot of time. 5) The questionnaire must be verified in time and constructed taking into account the circumstances arising from the place of the survey. 6) The application form must be completed neatly, in polygraphic form. When filling out the questionnaire, it is recommended to use different fonts, separating the wording of questions and answers, explanations to respondents regarding filling out the questionnaire. When compiling the questionnaire, the most common errors are the discovery of the researcher's attitude, the inadequacy of terms, and the disproportionate error, which consists in the proposal to choose one or more of a number of values that are not comparable with each other.

When selecting certain methods of sociological. research, it must be borne in mind that the mass nature of the survey is not a guarantee of the reliability and reliability of the results. It is much more efficient to use more precise tools that require skilled workers. the work of interviewers, statisticians, calculators and analysts, rather than conducting thousands of polls, which, by virtue of prof. weaknesses cannot provide new information about the state of societies. opinions. An important means of processing the methodology is trial, during which several Dozens of respondents specified the proposed questions and the possibility of subsequent interpretation of the study results.

The most fruitful method of collecting material in the sociological. the study turns out to be a standardized interview, i.e. face-to-face individual survey according to a previously worked out questionnaire with possible oral explanations to the respondent by the interviewer. Such a survey allows you to minimize non-returned questionnaires and allows you to carry out a fairly rigorous sampling plan.

Methods of material analysis in sociological. studies in principle do not differ from those accepted in statistics. Preliminary the condition for the reliability of complex types of analysis is to obtain a general picture of simple distributions of answers to the questions asked, grouping according to the most important features, averages, values and analysis of deviations from the averages in one direction or another. When studying the strength of the influence of certain factors on the processes under study, it is necessary to distinguish between general factors that equally affect the entire set of subjects, and specific factors. The latter, in turn, are divided into two groups; "factors of socio-demographic, order (sex, age, education, profession and t. e.) and factors indicating a different degree of involvement (party membership or membership in the Komsomol when studying the level of consciousness of the subjects; family and the presence of children in the study of family problems, upbringing, sociological aspects of fertility; experience in participating in management in the study of social-political. team activities and t. e.). Main which must be kept in mind at this stage of work is the constant connection of meaningful and formal analysis, clarification of the real sociological. meaning. received indexes, statistic. dependencies and models of private social processes. They contain an analysis based on the development of special sociological theories that reveal private social processes, which allows a deeper interpretation of the research data, to formulate conclusions that have a deep theoretical. and practical ,

Quantity. methods in sociology, M., 1966; Methodology and statistic. processing of primary sociology, information, M., 1968; -3dravomyslov A. G., Methodology and procedure of sociological. research,. M., 1969; Yadov V.A., Sociological. . Methodology. Program. Methods, M., 1972; Sociological analysis. information using computer, h. 11-2 , M., 1973-76 ; social research process, per. with German, M., 1975; Working book of a sociologist, M., 1976.

A. G. Zdravomyslov.

Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ch. editors: L. F. Ilyichev, P. N. Fedoseev, S. M. Kovalev, V. G. Panov. 1983 .

See what "METHODS OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH" is in other dictionaries:

DESIGN OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH- a strategy for conducting an empirical sociological study, including methods for selecting respondents to participate in the study, collecting and analyzing data. D.S.I.'s Choice depends on many factors, the main of which is the purpose of the study, ... ... Sociology: Encyclopedia

QUALITY OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH- its integral characteristic. It is determined by the quality of the research goal, the quality of the means (e.g. economy, efficiency), the quality of the research process (e.g. ethical aspects of interaction with the subjects) and the quality of the cut ... ...

SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM- presentation of theoretical and methodological. prerequisites, a general concept in accordance with the main objectives of the work undertaken and research hypotheses indicating the rules of procedure, as well as logical. sequence of operations for testing hypotheses. ... ... Russian sociological encyclopedia

Presentation of the main tasks, methodological prerequisites, methods and techniques of research. P.'s working off with. and. - an indispensable condition for a particular sociological. research. P.'s appointment with. and. - logical organization of the entire research process from setting ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

METHODOLOGY OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH- an integral part and a special area of sociology. knowledge, which has as its content a set of principles and methods of organization, development and evaluation of theoretical. and empiric. sociological knowledge, a system of norms and regulations for conducting sociological ... ... Russian sociological encyclopedia

STAGES OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH- specific in the integral structure of the research process. activities of a sociologist related to the solution of intermediate goals and objectives. The following main E.S.I. are distinguished: the development of a sociological program. research, collection of empirical data… … Russian sociological encyclopedia

OBJECT AND SUBJECT OF SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH- the object of sociology. research certain social. a reality independent of the researcher; the subject of properties, aspects, relations and processes of a given reality (i.e., within the framework of a given object), allocated by the researcher for purposeful ... ... Russian sociological encyclopedia

Report on the results of a sociological study- the main document containing the result of the analysis and interpretation of sociological data, conclusions, suggestions and practical recommendations for the customer. The requirements for the structure and content of this report are the same as for ... ... sociological reference book

Methods for processing and analyzing sociological information- ways to transform empirical data obtained in the course of sociological research in order to make them visible, compact, suitable for meaningful analysis, testing research hypotheses, and interpretation. Although you can't... sociological reference book

Federal Agency for EducationState Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education "Moscow State University for the Humanities. M.A. Sholokhova "Shadrinsk branch" Department of "Sociology"

Types and methods of sociological research.

Supervisor:

Chichaikin Yury Viktorovich

Executor:

Potapov Oleg Valentinovich

Jur. faculty, State Medical University, 5 semester.

Shadrinsk

Introduction.

Goals and objectives of sociological research.

Program of sociological research.

Stages of sociological research.

Types of sociological research and their methods.

The choice of the type of sociological research.

Conclusion.

Literature.

Introduction.

Each of the branches of science has a subject disclosed in the content, system of theories, laws, categories, principles, etc. and performs special functions in relation to practice, explores a certain area of social relations, certain phenomena, processes, in general, everything society. What and how does sociology study? Sociology (French sociologie, Latin Societas - society and Greek - Logos - the science of society) - the science of society, individual social institutions (state, law, morality, etc.), processes and public social communities of people. And in order to understand and study the basic patterns of social phenomena, the development and functioning of social communities, sociological research is needed.

Goals and objectives of sociological research.

In the most general form, sociological research can be defined as a system of logically consistent methodological, methodological, organizational and technical procedures interconnected by a single purpose: obtain reliable data about the phenomenon or process being studied, about the trends and contradictions in their development, so that these data can be used in the practice of managing social life. Main objectives of the study- search for an answer to the central question: what are the ways and means of solving the problem under study?

Program of sociological research.

The program contains a theoretical justification methodological approaches and methodical methods of studying a certain phenomenon or process. Only a program of sociological research that is deeply thought out in all its constituent parts is a necessary condition for conducting it at a high quality level. It is no coincidence that the program is called a strategic document, which expresses the concept of the study of the problem, those issues that were of particular interest to the organizers and prompted them to make an attempt to carry out a scientific analysis.

The program of sociological research usually includes a detailed, clear and complete presentation of the following sections:

- methodological part - formulation and justification of the problem, indication of the goal, definition of the object and subject of research, logical analysis of basic concepts, formulation of hypotheses and research objectives;

- methodical part- definition of the surveyed population, characteristics of the methods used to collect primary sociological information, the logical structure of the tools for collecting this information, the logical schemes for its processing.

Stages of sociological research:

Sociological research includes four successive stages: 1. Preparation of research;

2. Collection of primary information;

3. Preparation of the collected information for processing and its processing;

4. analysis of the information received, summing up the results of the study, formulation of conclusions and recommendations.

Types of sociological research and their methods.

Despite the fact that every sociological research that claims to be whole and complete includes the above stages, there is no single, unified form of sociological analysis suitable for studying problems of varying complexity.

A specific type of sociological research is determined by the nature of the goals and objectives set in it. It is in accordance with them that three main types of sociological research are distinguished: 1. Intelligence;

2. Descriptive;

3.Analytical.

The methods of collecting information are determined by the objectives and direction of the study. Here are some of them:

1. Observation is the collection of information by visual recording of occurring phenomena and events. It happens scientific and ordinary, included and not included. Scientific observation is proven in practice. Participant observation is the study of a social group "from the inside".

2. An experiment is the collection of information based on the introduction of a certain indicator into the social environment and monitoring the indications of the change in the indicator. There are laboratory and field.

3. Questioning - collection of quantitative data based on the submitted questionnaire, which is built according to the "funnel" method:

introductory part (introduction to the problem),

the main part (questions on the problem),

final part (social).

4. Interview - a survey method of collecting information, involving direct interaction between the interviewer and the respondent. There is free and standardized.

5. Analysis of documents - the collection of social data in the study of autobiography, works, paintings, print media, etc. It should be noted that a document in sociology is understood as any fixed carrier of information. A variation of this method is content analysis, which involves the translation of information into quantitative indicators and its further statistical processing.

1. Intelligence.

intelligence research solves tasks that are very limited in their content. It covers, as a rule, small surveyed populations and is based on a simplified program and a compressed toolkit.

Exploratory research is used for a preliminary examination of a certain process or phenomenon. The need for such a preliminary stage, as a rule, arises when the problem is either little or not studied at all. In particular, it is successfully used to obtain additional information about the subject and the object, to clarify and correct hypotheses and tasks, tools and boundaries of the surveyed population in an in-depth, large-scale study, as well as to identify difficulties that may be encountered in the future.

Under primary sociological information, it is customary to understand non-generalized information obtained in the course of sociological research in various forms. method:

- responses of respondents to the questions of the questionnaire;

- interview;

-records of the researcher in observation cards, etc.;

subject to further processing and generalization.

Performing auxiliary tasks, intelligence research serves as a supplier of operational data. In this sense, one can speak of method, as:

- express survey, the purpose of which is to obtain certain information that is of particular interest to the researcher at the moment.

With the help of operational surveys, people's attitude to current events and facts is determined (the so-called probing of public opinion), as well as the degree of effectiveness of the measures just taken. Quite often, such surveys are used to evaluate the course and results of various socio-political campaigns.

Usually, in intelligence research, one of the most accessible methods of collecting primary sociological information is used, which makes it possible to do this in a short time. In addition, if we are talking about clarifying the subject or object of a large-scale study, an analysis of the specialized literature can be carried out, as well as a survey of competent specialists (experts) or persons who are well aware of the characteristics and features of the object of study.

2. Descriptive.

Descriptive research- a more complex type of sociological analysis, which allows you to make a relatively holistic view of the phenomenon under study, its structural elements. Comprehending, taking into account such comprehensive information helps to better understand the situation, more deeply substantiate the choice of means, forms and methods of managing social processes.

A descriptive study is carried out according to a complete, sufficiently detailed program and on the basis of methodically tested tools. Its methodological and methodical equipment makes it possible to use method:

- groupings;

- classifications, etc.

elements according to those characteristics that are identified as significant in connection with the problem under study.

Descriptive research is usually used when the object is a relatively large community of people with different characteristics. This can be a team of a large enterprise, where people of different professions and age categories work, with different work experience, education level, marital status, etc., or the population of a city, district, region, region. In such situations, the allocation of relatively homogeneous groups in the structure of the object makes it possible to alternately evaluate, compare and contrast the characteristics of interest to the researcher, and in addition, to identify the presence or absence of links between them.

The choice of methods for collecting information in a descriptive study is determined by its objectives and focus. The combination of various methods increases the representativeness, objectivity, and completeness of sociological information, and, consequently, makes it possible to give more substantiated conclusions and recommendations.

3.Analytical.

Analytical sociological research sets as its goal the most in-depth study of the phenomenon, when it is necessary not only to describe the structure, but also to find out what determines its main quantitative and qualitative parameters.