1. Positivism vs Interpretivism Essay Compare and contrast positivist and interpretive perspectives underpinning social research– This essay intends to investigate by comparing and contrasting positivist and interpretive perspectives that surround social research. It will look into the use of methods such as quantitative and qualitative research and the effects and outcomes that this has in relation to social research. This will include the variations amongst them in both a positive and negative light. Before research can be undertaken the researcher must investigate the various methodologies, methods, theoretical perspectives and philosophical bases which surrounds the research. This will then enable researchers to use a wide variety of research methods in order to enhance...show more content... 'The individual is relegated to being nothing more than a system outcome, not a thinking and acting human' (Bryman, 2008) A researcher looking into the use of positivist methodology would look into the use of methods such as: survey's, questionnaires and statistic models. They aim to identify and measure social structures; this type of research can be seen by looking into the study of Durkheim's study of suicide with which Durkheim was referred to as a positivist. He believed that sociological theories must invest beneath the surface of phenomena and find out the hidden underlying causes behind behaviour. He claimed that sociology and its findings should be more than that of a speculation and that it should support its claims with evidence and statistics, Including important factors which can impact on the data which has been found. This includes taking into account hidden factors such as; economic depression, family mortality, and the slave trade all of which have impacted in this study on the rate of suicide. (Alcock, Margaret, Rowlingson, 2008) These methods have however been heavily criticised as being a flawed area for social research as they are seen to exclude significant issues in which it fails to address. (Beckett, 2006) This includes the failure of taking into account essential characteristics of human behaviour and social life which is unable to ...Get more content on HelpWriting.Net...