NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Sociology Introducing Sociology Chapter 5: Doing Sociology: Research Methods

Chapter at a glance

Exercise Questions

Answer

1. Everyone has opinions about society based on common sense and personal experience. Sociology claims to offer knowledge that is better than common sense; this claim rests on following a scientific method.
2. Sociological knowledge must be based on systematic collection of evidence and logical analysis, so that its conclusions are reliable and can be checked by others.
3. Sociology studies human beings who have feelings, beliefs and prejudices, and the sociologist is also a member of society. Without a careful method, findings may be biased.
4. A scientific method makes research transparent and verifiable: others can see how conclusions were reached and repeat the study.

Hence method is what distinguishes sociology from casual opinion.

Because sociology’s claim to be more reliable than common sense rests on systematic, transparent, verifiable methods — especially vital since the researcher is part of the society studied.

Answer

1. The researcher is part of society: sociologists have their own caste, class, gender, religion and values, which can colour what they see and how they interpret it.
2. Subject matter is human beings: people have feelings, motives and can change behaviour when observed; they interpret the researcher too.
3. Multiple truths: the same social reality is seen differently by different groups (e.g. landlords and labourers); there may be no single “correct” view.
4. Value-laden issues: topics like inequality, religion or politics arouse strong emotions.
5. Cannot do controlled experiments as in natural sciences.

Because the researcher is a member of society with biases, the subjects are humans with their own interpretations, social reality has multiple perspectives, topics are value-laden, and controlled experiments are rarely possible.

Answer

1. Self-awareness (reflexivity): constantly examining their own biases and how they may influence research.
2. Recording procedures in detail — keeping field notes and explaining methods — so that others can check the work.
3. Considering multiple viewpoints: listening to all groups involved, not just one side.
4. Using a variety of methods (triangulation) — surveys, interviews, observation — to cross-check findings.
5. Making their own position explicit — stating values and background openly.
6. Peer review and criticism by other sociologists.

Thus objectivity is treated as a goal to strive for, not something automatically achieved.

By practising reflexivity, documenting procedures transparently, considering multiple viewpoints, using several methods, stating their own position and accepting peer criticism.

Answer

Reflexivity is the researcher’s ability to observe and analyse oneself — to look at oneself “from the outside”, be aware of one’s own position, values, biases and how one’s presence affects the people being studied and the conclusions reached.

Importance

1. It helps the sociologist recognise and reduce bias.
2. It makes research more honest and transparent, since researchers explain how their own background shaped their work.
3. It helps understand how the relationship between researcher and subjects influences data.
4. It enables sociologists to see situations from others’ points of view.

Reflexivity is the researcher’s critical awareness of their own position and biases and their effect on research; it reduces bias and makes research transparent and honest.

Answer

1. Live in the community for a long period (often a year or more) — “fieldwork”.
2. Learn the local language and customs, and participate in everyday life, festivals and rituals.
3. Observe behaviour, interactions and practices closely, while also taking part as a member.
4. Talk informally and interview people; use key informants.
5. Map the area, make a census of households, record genealogies (kinship charts).
6. Keep detailed field notes and diaries; collect objects, photographs and recordings.
7. Try to understand the community’s way of life from the insider’s point of view.

(Examples: Malinowski in the Trobriand Islands, M.N. Srinivas in Rampura village.)

They live in the community for long periods, learn its language, take part in daily life, observe and talk to people, map households and genealogies, and keep detailed field notes to understand life from the inside.

Answer

Strengths

1. Provides rich, detailed and in-depth understanding of a community’s life.
2. Lets the researcher see things from the insider’s point of view.
3. Captures actual behaviour, not just what people say.
4. Reveals hidden or complex practices and meanings that surveys miss.
5. Flexible — the researcher can follow new leads.

Weaknesses

1. Time-consuming — requires long stays.
2. Studies a small area, so findings may not be generalisable.
3. Risk of bias: the researcher’s views or relationships may affect observations; the researcher may “go native”.
4. People may change behaviour because they are being observed.
5. Findings depend heavily on the individual researcher and are hard to verify or repeat.
6. Earlier ethnographies often gave only the outsider’s (or dominant group’s) voice.

Strengths: in-depth, insider understanding of actual behaviour and hidden meanings, flexibility. Weaknesses: time-consuming, small samples not generalisable, researcher bias, observer effect, hard to verify.

Answer

Basic elements

1. Defining the population to be studied.
2. Selecting a representative sample (using randomisation and stratification).
3. Preparing a questionnaire or interview schedule with carefully worded questions.
4. Collecting data — by investigators, mail, phone or online.
5. Tabulating and analysing the data, often statistically, and generalising results to the population.

Chief advantage: it allows the researcher to collect information from a large population (through a sample) quickly and at relatively low cost, and to generalise the findings with known accuracy. It gives a broad, comprehensive picture that other methods cannot.

Elements: defining the population, choosing a representative sample, preparing a questionnaire, collecting and analysing data. Chief advantage: it covers large populations efficiently and allows generalisation.

Answer

1. Stratification: the population is divided into relevant sub-groups (strata) — e.g. by gender, age, caste, religion, rural/urban, region — and each stratum is represented in the sample in proportion to its share.
2. Randomisation: within each stratum, units are selected purely by chance (lottery or random numbers), so that every unit has an equal chance of selection and the researcher’s bias does not influence the choice.
3. Adequate sample size: large enough to represent the population; larger samples reduce sampling error.
4. Clearly defined sampling frame (list of the population).

Example: national surveys (NSSO) choose villages and households by stratified random sampling.

Stratification into relevant sub-groups, random selection within each stratum, an adequate sample size and a clear sampling frame.

Answer

1. Superficial information: it cannot capture in-depth meanings, feelings or complex behaviour.
2. Depends on respondents’ honesty and memory; people may give socially acceptable answers.
3. Rigid questionnaires cannot be changed once the survey has started.
4. Investigators may not be trained well; non-response and errors occur (non-sampling errors).
5. Questions may be misunderstood, especially across languages and education levels.
6. Requires large organisation and resources for large surveys.
7. Sensitive topics are hard to study through surveys.

It gives only surface-level data, relies on honest answers, uses rigid questions, suffers from investigator and non-response errors and misunderstanding, needs heavy resources and struggles with sensitive topics.

Answer

1. An interview is a guided conversation between the researcher and a respondent.
2. It can be structured (fixed questions in a fixed order, like a survey schedule), unstructured (open conversation around topics) or semi-structured.
3. It allows the researcher to probe deeper, clarify questions and follow up interesting answers.
4. It captures the respondent’s own words, views and experiences.
5. It is flexible but depends on the interviewer’s skill in building rapport and asking neutral questions.
6. It may be recorded (audio/notes); it is time-consuming and responses may be influenced by the interviewer’s presence.
7. Often used along with participant observation or surveys.

A guided conversation — structured, semi-structured or unstructured — that allows probing and gathers respondents’ own views, but depends on the interviewer’s skill and rapport and is time-consuming.

Topic checklist

• Scientific method and objectivity in sociology
• Reflexivity
• Participant observation and fieldwork
• Survey method and sampling
• Interviews

Total questions answered: 10 of 10