,TESTBANK FOR Researching Society and Culture
fifth edition by Clive Seale
Notes
1- The file is chapter after chapter.
2- We have shown you few pages sample.
3- The file contains all Appendix and Excel sheet
if it exists.
4- We have all what you need, we make update
at every time. There are many new editions
waiting you.
5- If you think you purchased the wrong file You
can contact us at every time, we can replace it
with true one.
Our email:
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Testbank
Chapter 2: Philosophy, politics and values
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Why did Karl Popper think falsificationism was desirable in science?
a. Because he wanted to rule out mistakes
b. Because he thought false information would lead to errors
c. Because falsifiable statements were characteristic of best scientific practice
d. Because he wanted to prove Marx was wrong
Ans: C
2. Which of these terms refers to the use of human senses to gather data about the world?
a. Epistemology
b. Empiricism
c. Naturalism
d. Phenomenology
Ans: B
3. What is the difference between deduction and induction?
a. Induction is positivist whereas deduction is interpretivist
b. Induction involves using multiple observations to create generalisations, whereas
deduction involves inferring a thing if a pre-existing premise is true.
c. Induction means you take a relativist approach whereas deduction is absolutist.
d. Induction is an ontological statement whereas deduction is not.
Ans: B
4. What does it mean to say that the social world is socially constructed?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
a. People gather together to make things.
b. Everything is relative.
c. The social world is a product of human interaction
d. Social scientists have the same relationship to the social world as natural scientists have to
the physical world.
Ans: C
5. Which of the following is a central tenet of positivism?
a. The methods of the natural sciences are methods that social scientists should use
b. People will get positive benefits from participating in research
c. Positive correlations are better than negative ones
d. Social scientists should seek to uncover the socially constructed nature of the social world
Ans: A
6. User-led research means that
a. Research is more objective
b. People who fund research use its results, so take the lead in planning it
c. Users of services plan, carry out and participate in research projects
d. Research brings about scientific revolutions
Ans: C
7. Philosophical idealism involves the belief that
a. the world exists only in people’s minds
b. the purpose of philosophy is to bring about an ideal state of affairs
c. ideas take precedence over values
d. social scientists are unrealistic if they think their activities are really scientific
Ans: A
8. What did Schutz say about subjectivity?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
a. There is no point in trying to be objective, so we might as well accept that all science
depends on subjective points of view
b. Only qualitative methods can study subjectivity
c. Research subjects are insufficiently active
d. It is possible to study subjectivity objectively
Ans: D
9. Standpoint epistemology is the view that
a. ontological statements are examples of subtle realism
b. different social positions produce different experiences and therefore lead to different
types of knowledge.
c. verificationist approaches are wrong
d. there is very little difference between positivism and interpretivism
Ans: B
10. Scientific revolutions are moments when
a. a theory is falsified
b. paradigms are overthrown and replaced by new ones
c. scientists overcome oppression through action research
d. postmodern approaches replace modernist approaches to social research
Ans: B
Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
1. Describe some key differences between positivism and interpretivism
Positivism emphasises objective, observable phenomena and seeks to uncover universal laws
through empirical observation and experimentation. Interpretivism, on the other hand,
focuses on subjective meanings and social constructions, emphasising understanding through
context and interpretation rather than quantifiable data.
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
2. What was Karl Popper’s view about how science can be demarcated/differentiated
from non-science?
Karl Popper proposed the falsifiability criterion, suggesting that scientific theories must be
falsifiable, meaning they can be tested and potentially disproven through empirical evidence.
He argued that science distinguishes itself from non-science by its willingness to subject
hypotheses to rigorous testing and potential falsification.
3. What is the hypothetico-deductive method, and how does it differ from induction?
The hypothetico-deductive method involves formulating hypotheses based on existing
theories, then testing these hypotheses through empirical observation and experimentation.
Unlike induction, which involves deriving general principles from specific observations,
hypothetico-deductive reasoning starts with general principles and tests them against
empirical evidence.
4. What are the problems that falsificationism purports to address? Does it tackle them
satisfactorily?
Falsificationism aims to address issues of scientific progress by emphasising the importance
of testing theories through falsifiability rather than verification. It contends that theories
should be judged by their ability to withstand attempts at falsification.
5. Can a science of society be objective? Should it be?
The objectivity of social science is debated. While some argue that social research can strive
for objectivity by minimising bias and adhering to rigorous methodologies, others contend
that complete objectivity is unattainable due to the subjective nature of social phenomena.
Whether it should be objective depends on philosophical perspectives and research goals.
6. What are the arguments for and against the view that social research should be
controlled and directed by research participants?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Arguments for participant control in social research include empowering marginalised
voices, ensuring ethical research practices, and producing more relevant and accurate data.
Arguments against participant control include concerns about bias, loss of researcher
autonomy, and methodological rigour.
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Testbank
Chapter 3: Research and theory
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What role do theories play in research?
a. They stop you making mistakes
b. They are useful add-ons after a project is finished
c. They shape how you understand the issue you are exploring
d. They ensure that results are valid
Ans: C
2. What is social constructionism?
a. A theory that helps with causal reasoning
b. A version of social construct theory
c. The view that the social world is constructed by people
d. A realist orientation
Ans: C
3. How do middle-range and grand theories differ?
a. Middle-range theories are at a lower level of abstraction
b. Middle-range theories are at a higher level of abstraction
c. Grand theory is testable, whereas middle-range theory is not
d. They are both the same
Ans: A
4. Marxist theory is an example of
a. grand theory
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
b. social constructionism
c. middle-range theory
d. interactionist theory
Ans: A
5. What is abduction?
a. Another name for hypothetico-deduction
b. An interpretivist approach to research
c. The inappropriate blending of contradictory theories
d. A middle way between induction and deduction
Ans: D
6. Intersectionality is
a. a framework for understanding how disadvantage intersects across social identities
b. an attempt to understand things from multiple viewpoints
c. a special type of standpoint theory
d. a theory-driven qualitative approach to research
Ans: A
7. Constructionism is characterised by
a. attempts to construct correlations between variables
b. focusing on interaction and discourse people use to create meaning
c. engaging with methodological debates
d. trying to build theories
Ans: B
8. Theories are
a. abstract concepts
b. predictions about the future
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
c. groupings of concepts that explain phenomena
d. statements about what ought to happen
Ans: C
9. Saying cause of death is socially constructed means
a. ideas about the causes of death are likely to be variable across different social contexts
b. death is caused by social forces
c. you must be a postmodernist
d. death is meaningless
Ans: A
10. Arlie Hochshild’s study of flight attendants was done
a. using an inductive approach
b. to prove a middle-range theory
c. to assess their emotional welfare
d. to improve their job performance
Ans: A
Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
1. How does theory shape researchers’ understanding of social issues?
Theory provides frameworks and concepts to interpret phenomena, guiding the selection and
interpretation of data. Theories offer explanatory power, helping researchers identify
patterns, connections, and relationships. They inform research design, guiding the
formulation of hypotheses and research questions, and influencing data collection and
analysis methods. Ultimately, theory shapes how researchers conceptualise, investigate, and
make sense of social issues.
2. How does a social policy perspective differ from an interactionist perspective?
A social policy perspective focuses on analysing and critiquing societal structures and
institutions, whereas an interactionist perspective emphasises understanding social behaviour
fifth edition by Clive Seale
Notes
1- The file is chapter after chapter.
2- We have shown you few pages sample.
3- The file contains all Appendix and Excel sheet
if it exists.
4- We have all what you need, we make update
at every time. There are many new editions
waiting you.
5- If you think you purchased the wrong file You
can contact us at every time, we can replace it
with true one.
Our email:
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Testbank
Chapter 2: Philosophy, politics and values
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Why did Karl Popper think falsificationism was desirable in science?
a. Because he wanted to rule out mistakes
b. Because he thought false information would lead to errors
c. Because falsifiable statements were characteristic of best scientific practice
d. Because he wanted to prove Marx was wrong
Ans: C
2. Which of these terms refers to the use of human senses to gather data about the world?
a. Epistemology
b. Empiricism
c. Naturalism
d. Phenomenology
Ans: B
3. What is the difference between deduction and induction?
a. Induction is positivist whereas deduction is interpretivist
b. Induction involves using multiple observations to create generalisations, whereas
deduction involves inferring a thing if a pre-existing premise is true.
c. Induction means you take a relativist approach whereas deduction is absolutist.
d. Induction is an ontological statement whereas deduction is not.
Ans: B
4. What does it mean to say that the social world is socially constructed?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
a. People gather together to make things.
b. Everything is relative.
c. The social world is a product of human interaction
d. Social scientists have the same relationship to the social world as natural scientists have to
the physical world.
Ans: C
5. Which of the following is a central tenet of positivism?
a. The methods of the natural sciences are methods that social scientists should use
b. People will get positive benefits from participating in research
c. Positive correlations are better than negative ones
d. Social scientists should seek to uncover the socially constructed nature of the social world
Ans: A
6. User-led research means that
a. Research is more objective
b. People who fund research use its results, so take the lead in planning it
c. Users of services plan, carry out and participate in research projects
d. Research brings about scientific revolutions
Ans: C
7. Philosophical idealism involves the belief that
a. the world exists only in people’s minds
b. the purpose of philosophy is to bring about an ideal state of affairs
c. ideas take precedence over values
d. social scientists are unrealistic if they think their activities are really scientific
Ans: A
8. What did Schutz say about subjectivity?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
a. There is no point in trying to be objective, so we might as well accept that all science
depends on subjective points of view
b. Only qualitative methods can study subjectivity
c. Research subjects are insufficiently active
d. It is possible to study subjectivity objectively
Ans: D
9. Standpoint epistemology is the view that
a. ontological statements are examples of subtle realism
b. different social positions produce different experiences and therefore lead to different
types of knowledge.
c. verificationist approaches are wrong
d. there is very little difference between positivism and interpretivism
Ans: B
10. Scientific revolutions are moments when
a. a theory is falsified
b. paradigms are overthrown and replaced by new ones
c. scientists overcome oppression through action research
d. postmodern approaches replace modernist approaches to social research
Ans: B
Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
1. Describe some key differences between positivism and interpretivism
Positivism emphasises objective, observable phenomena and seeks to uncover universal laws
through empirical observation and experimentation. Interpretivism, on the other hand,
focuses on subjective meanings and social constructions, emphasising understanding through
context and interpretation rather than quantifiable data.
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
2. What was Karl Popper’s view about how science can be demarcated/differentiated
from non-science?
Karl Popper proposed the falsifiability criterion, suggesting that scientific theories must be
falsifiable, meaning they can be tested and potentially disproven through empirical evidence.
He argued that science distinguishes itself from non-science by its willingness to subject
hypotheses to rigorous testing and potential falsification.
3. What is the hypothetico-deductive method, and how does it differ from induction?
The hypothetico-deductive method involves formulating hypotheses based on existing
theories, then testing these hypotheses through empirical observation and experimentation.
Unlike induction, which involves deriving general principles from specific observations,
hypothetico-deductive reasoning starts with general principles and tests them against
empirical evidence.
4. What are the problems that falsificationism purports to address? Does it tackle them
satisfactorily?
Falsificationism aims to address issues of scientific progress by emphasising the importance
of testing theories through falsifiability rather than verification. It contends that theories
should be judged by their ability to withstand attempts at falsification.
5. Can a science of society be objective? Should it be?
The objectivity of social science is debated. While some argue that social research can strive
for objectivity by minimising bias and adhering to rigorous methodologies, others contend
that complete objectivity is unattainable due to the subjective nature of social phenomena.
Whether it should be objective depends on philosophical perspectives and research goals.
6. What are the arguments for and against the view that social research should be
controlled and directed by research participants?
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Arguments for participant control in social research include empowering marginalised
voices, ensuring ethical research practices, and producing more relevant and accurate data.
Arguments against participant control include concerns about bias, loss of researcher
autonomy, and methodological rigour.
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
Testbank
Chapter 3: Research and theory
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. What role do theories play in research?
a. They stop you making mistakes
b. They are useful add-ons after a project is finished
c. They shape how you understand the issue you are exploring
d. They ensure that results are valid
Ans: C
2. What is social constructionism?
a. A theory that helps with causal reasoning
b. A version of social construct theory
c. The view that the social world is constructed by people
d. A realist orientation
Ans: C
3. How do middle-range and grand theories differ?
a. Middle-range theories are at a lower level of abstraction
b. Middle-range theories are at a higher level of abstraction
c. Grand theory is testable, whereas middle-range theory is not
d. They are both the same
Ans: A
4. Marxist theory is an example of
a. grand theory
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
b. social constructionism
c. middle-range theory
d. interactionist theory
Ans: A
5. What is abduction?
a. Another name for hypothetico-deduction
b. An interpretivist approach to research
c. The inappropriate blending of contradictory theories
d. A middle way between induction and deduction
Ans: D
6. Intersectionality is
a. a framework for understanding how disadvantage intersects across social identities
b. an attempt to understand things from multiple viewpoints
c. a special type of standpoint theory
d. a theory-driven qualitative approach to research
Ans: A
7. Constructionism is characterised by
a. attempts to construct correlations between variables
b. focusing on interaction and discourse people use to create meaning
c. engaging with methodological debates
d. trying to build theories
Ans: B
8. Theories are
a. abstract concepts
b. predictions about the future
, Seale & Rivas, Researching Society and Culture, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2025
c. groupings of concepts that explain phenomena
d. statements about what ought to happen
Ans: C
9. Saying cause of death is socially constructed means
a. ideas about the causes of death are likely to be variable across different social contexts
b. death is caused by social forces
c. you must be a postmodernist
d. death is meaningless
Ans: A
10. Arlie Hochshild’s study of flight attendants was done
a. using an inductive approach
b. to prove a middle-range theory
c. to assess their emotional welfare
d. to improve their job performance
Ans: A
Short Answer Questions (SAQs)
1. How does theory shape researchers’ understanding of social issues?
Theory provides frameworks and concepts to interpret phenomena, guiding the selection and
interpretation of data. Theories offer explanatory power, helping researchers identify
patterns, connections, and relationships. They inform research design, guiding the
formulation of hypotheses and research questions, and influencing data collection and
analysis methods. Ultimately, theory shapes how researchers conceptualise, investigate, and
make sense of social issues.
2. How does a social policy perspective differ from an interactionist perspective?
A social policy perspective focuses on analysing and critiquing societal structures and
institutions, whereas an interactionist perspective emphasises understanding social behaviour
