Sociology Research Methods Common Sense and the Need
- Slides: 17
Sociology: Research Methods Common Sense and the Need for Research What Everyone Knows May Not Be True Move Beyond Guesswork
A Research Model 1. Selecting a Topic 2. Defining a Problem 3. Reviewing the Literature 4. Formulating a Hypothesis
A Research Model 5. Choosing a Research Method 6. Collecting Data 7. Analyzing Results 8. Sharing Results
Methods for Research v Surveys-series of questions v Selecting a Sample- a group of people that represents a population 1. Random Sample-chance selection 2. Stratified Random Sample Asking Neutral Questions with a closed end response Asking Open-ended Questions with persons own words
Research Methods continued v Questionnaires v. Self-Administered v. Allow the Largest Sample v. Low Cost v. Loss of Researcher Control
Research Methods-Field Research v Participant Observation (Fieldwork) v. Researcher Participates v. Problems with Generalizability v. Done for Exploratory Work v. Generates Hypotheses
Example of Participant Observation Concealing her identity, researcher takes a temporary job at a high school with low funding. Goal: to observe a link between school violence and school funding
Research Methods continued v Secondary Analysis v Analyze Data Collected by Others such as Durkheim’s suicide study of 1897 v Researcher Cannot Be Sure of Data Quality
Research Methods continued v. Documents v Examine Books, Newspapers, Diaries, etc. v Limited Scope v Cannot Study Topic Unless Access is Granted
Research Methods v Experimental Groupv Control Group v Independent Variables-causes something to occur, change or look for changes in this v Dependent Variables-What results from the change in the independent variable
Types of Variables
Example of Variable Independent Variable-Time spent studying… Dependent Variable: Better grades
How do variables differ? Quantitative & Qualitative Variables Quantitative Variable-a variable that can be measured, given a number Qualitative Variable-membership in category such as marital status, sex, membership in groups such as Catholic, Sophmore/Senior, Cheerleader, Football player
Research Methods v. Unobtrusive Measures v. Observe People Without Them Knowing v. Question of Ethics-is it morally right or wrong
Deciding Which Method to Use Available Resources Access to Subjects Purpose of Researcher’s Background and Training
Gender in Sociological Research v. Affects Orientation and Attitudes v Interviewer Bias v Women and Men Lead Different Lives v In Past, Women’s Experiences Neglected
Ethics in Sociological Research v. Protecting Subjects: The Brajuha Research Protected the rights of subjects from court subpoena of his research
Common sense sociology
Tischler sociology
Common sense in research methodology
Dominant genetic variance
Narrow sense heritability vs broad sense heritability
Examples of common sense and sociological explanations
Right attitude and common sense
Venn diagram of olive branch petition and common sense
Olive branch petition and common sense venn diagram
Venn diagram of olive branch petition and common sense
Common sense education fair and square
Social psychology and common sense
Define minarchy
Common sense as a cultural system
Common sense is published
Common sense of purpose
Crystallized intelligence definition psychology
Psychology just common sense
