Sociology & Digital Technology: The Mutation of Sociological Research

Abstract

Due to digital technology, data production has grown exponentially, creating enormous enthusiasm within the scientific community for “big data”. This socio-technical phenomenon gives rise to dualities and conflicting attitudes in sociology: unlimited synchronic numerical data against classical data at risk of expiry, rigorous methodological process as opposed to a stagnation of the protocol. And has put in a vice the research techniques and their associated modes of resonance. In this article, from a consultation of the literature, three fundamental aspects will be subject to explore: the forced adjustment of the domain, the transformations of the methods of data collection, and the models of reasoning about the theory. In the outcome, the vast availability of digital data show how far the digital has invaded sociology by announcing the embarrassment of classical researchers facing big data, the obsolescence of traditional techniques and the change of models reasoning. Moreover, three models of interaction trace the ways of dealing with this digital derivative ranging from protection by the total refusal so that the discipline does not become digital, conservation manifested by a reserved acceptance by sociologists, finally, a trend of adoption under the pretext that digital technology transforms the functioning of societies and the ways of knowing about them.