WHAT CONSTITUTE THE SOCIOLOGICAL METHOD OF OBSERVATION AND VALIDATION.

WHAT CONSTITUTE THE SOCIOLOGICAL METHOD OF OBSERVATION AND VALIDATION. BY JACOB YOL 08123463845 MARCH, 2014 From time immemorial, society has developed in various stages ranging from theological/traditional, metaphysical and presently to what is known to be the scientific stage which determined and unveil man’s level of inquiry and understanding of the social world. August Comte a great French thinker of his time laid the foundation of sociology in 1798-1857 and one of his greatest work was “Positivism” where he rejected the theological/traditional (social thinking) and metaphysical (social thought) in favour of positive knowledge based on systematic observation and experimentation (sociological thought). Sociology as a discipline tends to interpret and explain society using scientific methods of research which emphasizes on observation and validation for checks and reliability. The works of Emile Durkheim in his study of “Suicide” realized the dreams of August Comte for coining sociology as a scientific discipline as he adopted the use of measuring social phenomenon through observation thereby interpreting social phenomenon mathematically. A methodology is a system of rules, principles and procedures that guide scientific investigation (Shankarrao, 2008). Research methodology provides guidelines for collecting evidence about what takes place and for explaining why it takes place. These findings can be checked and verified by other researchers. The heart of the research process constitutes the actual procedures that sociologist use in collecting their facts or data. Sociologist use a variety of research methods, systematic techniques for gathering and analyzing facts about phenomenon generally. This include; Observation is undoubtedly, the oldest and still our basic method of getting information about the world around us, we look out of the window in the morning to see whether the sun is shining or whether it is raining, and make our decision about carrying an umbrella or not. If we are driving, we look out to see whether the traffic is red or green. As we students move from hostels to the classroom, we take note of the dresses others wear and the behaviour of other students and relate these to what we think. There is no need to multiple examples as long as we are awake; we are constantly engaged in observation. Observation simply means the act of looking, seeing and taking note of an occurrence, observational techniques are sometimes regarded as haphazard or unplanned. This is quite an erroneous notion. Observation used as a research technique, is always expert directed by a specific purpose, it is systematic, carefully focused and thoroughly recorded. Like other research procedures, it is subject to the usual checks for accuracy, validity and reliability (Onigu & Ogionwo, 2006). Through experience and training, the observer knows just what to look for. He/she is able to distinguish between the significant aspects of the situation and factors that have little or no importance to the investigation. Since objectivity is a sine qua non in research, the observer employs careful and accurate methods of measuring and recording. The use of accurate instrument such as the check list, score card, the scale, thermometer, stethoscope, audiometer, camera, tape recording and other devices of inquiry, helps to objectify and systemize the process of observation. In this way, observation becomes more refined than mere common sense observation. Observation is, thus not only one of the oldest and the most pervasive source of information about the activities of daily life, it is also a primary tool for scientific inquiry. Observation becomes a scientific technique to the extent that: 1. It serves a formulation purpose, 2. It can be planned systematically, 3. It can be recorded systematically and related to more general propositions rather than being presented as a set of interesting curious notions; and 4. It is subjected to checks and controls on validity and reliability. Observation is a vital principal technique of social research. As Ian Robertson puts it, observation involves an intensive examination of a particular group, or social process. The researcher does not attempt to influence what happens in any way but aims instead at an accurate description and analysis of what takes place. Observation in sociology gives sociologist the ability to see things for themselves acting socially so as to give a constructive description about the phenomenon under study. Validity is concerned with the meaningfulness of research components. When researchers measure behaviours, they are concerned with whether they are measuring what they intended to measure. Does the IQ test measure intelligence? Does the GRE actually predict successful completion of a graduate study program? These are questions of validity and even though they can never be answered with complete certainty, researchers can develop strong support for the validity of their measures (Bollen, 1989). In conventional usage, as Earl (2007) puts it that validity refers to the extent to which empirical measures adequately reflect the real meaning of the concept under consideration. Sociologist operates on agreements about the terms used and the concept they represent to ensure reliability on phenomenon observed. The dyad is adopted by sociologist to ensure that scientific method bring about credibility and objectivity in the study of social phenomena. The scientific methods which emphasizes on observation and validation in sociology is made up of the following procedures in arriving at findings that are compelling and are held in high esteem are itemized below; Formulation of Problem A problem is a gap in knowledge, something not understood. It may be simple or complex. But this problem is to be defined properly to give an insight of the phenomenon under study, other wise we may miss the direction of our argument and as well be wasted. Here observation regarding the existing amount of knowledge on that particular issue may help one to define the problem properly. Formulation of Hypothesis When the problem to be tackled is identified, the sociologist approaches the problem with unbiased so as to unveil the likelihood of discovering new ideas. These accounts for the primary ideas which may guide the researcher in his inquire which may be termed as hypothesis. It is the tentative explanation of phenomenon which is systematic in nature. It is a provisional supposition which is not yet proved but is anticipated to be correct as it may fall on either side of the postulation. Observation and Collection of Data The formulated hypothesis has to be tested. This requires observation of facts by the researcher and as well the collection of facts. In social research data is derived through interviews, questionnaires, field observation etc. the method of collecting data depend upon the nature of the research and the resources at our disposal. Analysis and Synthesis After data is collected, they are processed and analyzed in order to draw proper inferences. This requires the classification of data. Classification here refers to the arranging of data in different groups or classes according to their similarities and dissimilarities. Generalization/Conclusion After data collected is classified. The analysis presents broad inferences; conclusion and generalization are done as well. Conclusively, what constitutes the scientific methodology of observation and validity in sociology lies between the laid down scientific rules, principles and procedure of defining the problem (formulation of problem), identifying the problem (formulation of hypothesis), observing and recording of information (observation and collection of data), adopting a statistical tool in analyzing data (analyzing and synthesis) and finally, concluding the research with a tentative conclusion that could be use to specify or generalize the phenomenon under study. References Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural Equations with Latent Variables (pp. 179-225). John Wiley & Sons. Earl, B. (2007), The Practice of Social Research. Onigu, O. & Ogionwo, W. (2006), “An Introduction to Sociological Studies.” Heinemann Shankarrao, N. (2008), Principles of Sociology. Hand and Company Ltd. india