In order to understand the production of sociological knowledge one must first examine the thought processes that lay behind each piece of research. Before a particular subject matter is researched, the researcher firstly makes certain assumptions about that matter. These assumptions differ dependent on the theoretical approach that is taken. They can be divided into three logical areas, namely ontology, epistemology and methodology.

Sociologists researchers first make ontological assumptions. That is to say, they decide what they are studying or what should be studied. They decide what the subject matter consists of and the meanings behind it. They must consider the social reality and the nature of being, in relation to the subject matter.

Having satisfied this researchers then make epistemological assumptions surrounding the subject matter. They must decide on the type of evidence to be collected, considering

This theory is very different from the positivist theory. Positivists assume it is possible to understand social problems regardless of who the researcher is. This is a key difference between the two theories as we shall later see. The theory's emergence in the 1960s began to criticise earlier theories. It was found that these theories defined social problems as reflected by the dominant groups in society. That is to say, predominantly white middle class males. During the 1970's critical theories of Marxism and Feminism gained prominence. Hirschi linked academic incompetence to poor school performance. Marxist theory might approach this from an alternative perspective perhaps concentrating on class inequalities and teacher pupil interaction . Did the teacher have lower expectations of working class children?

From a positivists perspective the world is an objective entity, therefore reality is what can be perceived by our five senses. This stance excludes unobservable human experiences or 'feelings' from social knowledge as these are subjective. In line with these beliefs comes the scientific belief of 'cause and effect'. For example, when salt is placed into water, it becomes saline. Positivists would argue that natural scientists' laws of cause and effect can be applied in social science. That is that one social phenomenon is linked to another. For instance, a positivist might agree that young men are more likely to commit crime than young women because the boys were given 'greater freedom' by their parents, whilst dismissing other notions such as 'crime proves masculinity' In this example one observable phenomenon is linked to another. In essence, social facts influence human behaviour or as Babbie (1979, p.423) summed it up, 'some things are caused by other things.'

Positivists see the understandings of dominant groups as partial and perverse. It could be due to simple naivete, that they are simply unaware of the problems experienced by oppressed groups. Additionally, it could be that they deliberately do not want to know as it would not serve their own political interests.

The methods favoured by standpoint theorists must give voice to the concerns of the oppressed. They must be able to be representative of those groups. This links this theory to qualitative methods such as in-depth interviewing or participant observation. These methods would allow the researcher to come into close contact with the subject and allow the subject's own point of view to be heard.

which evidence will deliver optimum validity. They must decide which stance to take during research, objective or neutral, considering which would be possible or even favourable. They must then think

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Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)