Alba, Anna Charisse

BS Sociology 4-1

Final Exam Seminar in Sociology

3. Compare and contrast Emancipatory Sociology (Post colonialism and Feminism) and

Postmodernism in terms of (a) Agency/Structure ; (b) Subject/Object, (c) Human Nature-What

makes us human; (d) Social order and (e)Social Change

>Emancipatory Sociology tends to destroy or transgress the divide or classifications unlike the

idea of Postmodernism which softens the divide or classifications and make it appear to be fluid.

As an example, Gender in a modern society would tend to be classified in 3 type: homosexual m:

males, females, and the homosexuals. In a postmodern modern society, the said classifications

would branch out into multiple stems such as bi-curiosity, bisexuality, transsexuality, gender

queerness and sapiosexuality. However, in emancipatory sociology, it seeks to destroy the

boundaries set (i.e. gender roles). Certain forms of emancipatory sociology, such as Feminism

and Post colonialism, aim to completely emancipate certain sectors (i.e. women, children,

LGBT) from oppression.

For emancipatory sociological theories, its aim is to theorize and practice, also known as praxis.

A theory must be tested and practiced to generate a better theory and practice. On the other hand,

postmodernists tend to engage in long term questioning to generate deeper understanding and

wider thoughts on how we perceive objects.

Emancipatory sociology appeals to end the different forms of mentalities such as colonial

mentality, crab mentality and macho culture to liberate those who are considered to be

oppressed. On the other hand, post modernists tend to look for the truth, the idea of the truth
which appeals to them and they tend to bash the idea of organized church congregations, saying

that it is, anti-democratic.

The idea of emancipatory sociology is to liberate those who are oppressed by social chains and

rekindle the idea of solidarity which in the present is quite unfelt due to various constraints and

divisions which rifts us apart. Postmodernism tends to address us to open and widen our

perspective on things and be critical of the theories and opinions around us.

4. Discuss efficiently the debate between Quantitative and Qualitative Research methodologies.

Write possible research topics for the following. It can be of the same topic.

>According to Silverman (1995) , Quantitative Research is considered as superior methodology

because it tends to be value-free as compared to Qualitative research since the latter tends to be

influenced by the researchers political values (p.78). Flexibility is also an issue when it comes

to the methodology of a research since qualitative research tends to become fluid and adapt to the

situation at hand, which is quite questionable to some sociologists. On the other hand, being

strict and no-nonsense is the advantage of quantitative research since specific standards are met,

therefore lessening the questions surrounding its validity and authenticity. Qualitative research

tends to cost a huge chunk of time just for analysis, since the process of creating an analyzing

device would be a wholly different thing unlike with quantitative research who has a set format

of Analysis. One idea which could be studied the of LGBT church goers. For a quantitative

research, one could measure the degrees of religiosity by means of surveying while a qualitative

researcher could look for the reasons of the religiosity of the church goers.
 REFERENCES

o London: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Jenks, Chris. 1998. Core sociological dichotomies.

London: Sage.
o Mitchell, J. 1974, Psycho-analysis and Feminism. Allen Lane.
o Silverman, D. (1975) 'Accounts of Organizations: Organizational Structures and the
Accounting Process', in J. McKinlay (ed.), Processing People: Cases in Organizational
Behaviour