Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective and Research Process

Chapter 1 The Sociological Perspective and Research Process ( 1 of 23 )

The Sociological Research Process • Research Model – – – Question or Problem Review Prior research Formulate hypothesis Test the hypothesis (data collection & analysis) Draw conclusions & report the findings ( 2 of 23 )

Primary & Secondary Data Primary Data the Truth ( 3 of 23 )

Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches Qualitative. . . is typically used to answer questions about the complex nature of phenomena, often with the purpose of describing and understanding the phenomena from the participants’ points of view. Quantitative. . . is used to answer questions about relationships among measured variable with the purpose of explaining, predicting, and controlling phenomena. ( 4 of 23 )

Four Scales of Measurement ✔One object is different from another – nominal ✔One object is bigger or better or more of anything than another – ordinal ✔One object is so many more units (degrees, inches) than another – interval ✔One object is so many times as big or bright or tall or heavy - ratio ( 5 of 23 )

Validity and Reliability of Measurement Validity measures what it is supposed to measure. Reliability Consistency of results ( 6 of 23 )

Deductive Logic A conclusion is generalized and applied to the understanding of other phenomenon. Inductive Reasoning Observations about various phenomenon help people draw conclusions. ( 7 of 23 )

Research Methods • The Phenomenon • Survey • Field Research – Observation – Ethnography • • • Questionnaire Interview Experiments Causation versus Correlation Ethical issues in research ( 8 of 23 )

Why Study Sociology? ( 9 of 23 )

Lingo/terminology • Society • “The Sociological Imagination” (C. Wright Mills) – Personal Troubles or Public Issues • Is suicide a personal trouble or a public issue? – Homelessness? – Violence? ( 10 of 23 )

Societies differ economically and socially • High-income countries • Middle-Income countries • Low-Income countries • How might these differences affect individuals lives? ? ( 11 of 23 )

Sociology and Other Social Sciences Anthropology Economics SOCIOLOGY Psychology Political Science ( 12 of 23 )

The Development of Sociological Thinking • Industrialization – Agriculture to manufacturing • Urbanization – Living in cities – Shift from producers to consumers “Significant Events That Changed Society” ( 13 of 23 )

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Positivism Racial & Gender Equality Comte Martineau Spencer Durkheim Marx Weber Simmel Social Darwinsm “Social Facts”; anomie Conflict “Value Free”; verstehen Microlevel analysis ( 15 of 23 )

Urbanization University of Chicago Park Mead Addams Atlanta University Dubois Symbolic Interaction Hull House; underpriveleged • “The Philadephia Negro” • “Souls of Black Folks” • NAACP • Double Consciousness ( 16 of 23 )

Theory Perspective Major Sociological Perspectives: • Functionalist (a. k. a. structural functionalist) • Conflict • Symbolic Interactionist • Postmodern • Macrolevel – large; institutions; society • Microlevel – small, interactions between people; groups ( 17 of 23 )

X ( 18 of 23 )

Functionalist • Macrolevel • Based on the assumption that society is a stable, orderly system • societal consensus – Robert K. Merton • Manifest Functions • Latent Functions ( 19 of 23 )

Conflict • • Macrolevel Social Inequality Scarce Resources Some have, some have not ( 20 of 23 )

Symbolic Interactionist • Microlevel • Society is the sum of interaction of people and groups • Definition of situation the way we respond to a situation determines our perception of the situation ( 21 of 23 )

Postmodern • Macrolevel/microlevel • Changing society – changing reality – Instablity/uncertainty • Information (overload) • Globalization • Consumerism ( 22 of 23 )

Questions? Comments? ( 23 of 23 )