Quantitative and Qualitative research can neither produce totally valid and completely reliable data, but both can provide useful insights into social life. In this context, provide the significance of 'methodological pluralism' in social research.

Advantages: (1) Views social reality as an observable social fact. (2) Use of empirical evidences and scientific method for data collection. (3) Independent viewing of social

phenomena. (4) Macro view of phenomena based on empirical data: (e.g. Data of Coroner office by Durkheim). (5) Can ensure higher reliability and validity. But it is still not free from various biases.

Drawbacks (1) Ignore the subjective meanings or 'geist' of individuals - (WEBER) (2) social sciences cannot mimic physical sciences blindly: Social facts have context - (Berger) (3) Interpretivists like Phenomenologists, Ethnomethodologist insist on micro view.

Qualitative Approach started with Weber's verstehen and is widely used in studies of Ethnomethodologists, Phenomenologists etc.

Advantages: (1) Subjective reality understood (e.g. Phenomenologists like David Silverman's study of

bureaucracy based on individual view v/s weber's macro view). (2) Provides insight into how common social life works (e.g. Reflexivity and Indexicality). (3) Concepts of Interaction, Personality, Self society and mind - (Mead and Blumer)

Drawbacks: (4) No clear goals of research. (5) Gabriella Fanna; Different each time - highly subjective. (6) Reduces credibility of sociology as a science.

Need for methodological Pluralism