Positivist research methods

Positivism refers to the belief that there are ‘social facts’ that can be studied objectively using methods that are similar to the natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry and biology).

Positivist methods produce quantitative data on social patterns and trends which can be used to explain society.

Positivist research methods include:

• Laboratory experiments.
• The comparative method.
• Social surveys.
• Structured questionnaires.
• Formal/structured interviews.
• Non-participant observation.
• Official statistics.
• Content analysis.

Positivism is a structuralist theory 

Some positivist theories:

- Feminism - equality between sexes/genders

- Marxism - equally between classes 

- Functionalism - macro view on the social structure -

Functionalism posits that society is more than the sum of its parts; rather, each aspect of it works for the stability of the whole.