SECOND EDITION You May Ask Yourself Dalton Conley An Introduction to Thinking Like a Sociologist Chapter 2 Methods

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Research Methods Research methods are standard rules that social scientists follow when trying to establish a causal relationship between social elements. Quantitative methods seek to obtain information about the social world that is in, or can be converted to, numeric form. Qualitative methods attempt to collect information about the social world that cannot be readily converted to numeric form. 2

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Approaches to Research A deductive approach to research: 1)starts with a theory. 2)develops a hypothesis. 3)makes empirical observations. 4)analyzes the data collected through observation to confirm, reject, or modify the original theory. 3

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Approaches to Research An inductive approach to research: 1) starts with empirical observation. 2) then works to form a theory. 3) determines if a correlation exists by noticing if a change is observed in two things simultaneously. 4

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Causality vs. Correlation Causality is the idea that a change in one factor results in a corresponding change in another factor. 5

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Causality vs. Correlation Sociologists conduct research to try to prove causation. To prove causation, correlation and time order are established and alternative explanations are ruled out. 6

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Variables – What Are We Studying? A dependent variable is the outcome that a researcher is trying to explain. An independent variable is a measured factor that the researcher believes has a causal impact on the dependent variable. 7

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. The Hypothesis A hypothesis is a proposed relationship between two variables, represented by either the null hypothesis or an alternative hypothesis. 8

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Makes “Good” Research? Good research should be valid, reliable, and generalizable: –Validity: does the study measure what it is intended to measure? –Reliability: if you conduct the study again, will you get the same results? –Generalizability: will the findings of this study apply to some other population or group of people? 9

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. How Feminist Methodology Is Different Feminist methodology –treats women’s experiences as legitimate empirical and theoretical resources. –promotes social science that may bring about policy change to help women. –is as conscious of the role of the researcher as that of the subjects being studied. 10

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Types of Data Collection Types of data collection used in social research: –participant observation –interviews –survey research –comparative research –experimentation –content analysis –historical methods 11

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Interview, Mitchell Duneier 12 Mitchell Duneier discusses the challenges of doing ethnography and the responsibilities of a researcher. Types of Data Collection

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Interview, Duncan Watts 13 Duncan Watts describes his research on the Matthew effect. Types of Data Collection

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Ethics of Social Research Researchers must meet codified standards, which are set by professional associations, academic institutions, or research centers, when conducting studies. Researchers must guard against causing physical, emotional, or psychological harm to their subjects. 14

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Ethics of Social Research Informed consent and voluntary participation are guidelines researchers use to ensure subjects know they are participating in a study and have voluntarily chosen to participate. 15

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. What Do We Do with Sociological Research? Public sociology refers to the practice of using sociological research, teaching, and service to reach a wider (not solely academic) audience and to influence society. 16

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 1. Which of the following describes the deductive approach to research? a)A researcher makes empirical observations, and based on these observations, he or she develops a theory. b)A researcher develops several hypotheses to explain a correlation he or she has observed between two factors. c)A researcher establishes causation and then develops a theory to explain it. d)A researcher starts with a theory, forms a hypothesis, makes observations, and then analyzes the data to confirm, reject, or refine the original theory. 17

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 2. What is a moderating variable? a)a factor that is positioned between the independent and dependent variables but does not affect the relationship between them b)a factor that affects only the independent variable in a hypothesis c)a factor that can replace the dependent variable in a hypothesis d)a factor that affects the relationship between the independent and dependent variables 18

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 3. A thermometer that consistently gives readings that are five degrees cooler than the actual temperature is _____. a)valid but not reliable b)reliable but not valid c)neither reliable nor valid d)both reliable and valid 19

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 4. Which of the following data collection methods are commonly used in social research? a)comparative studies, surveys, interviews b)historical methods, participant observation, case studies c)natural experiment, double-blind study, comparative research d)content analysis, census, panel survey 20

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Concept Quiz 5. Social research that tries to engage a nonacademic audience and influence society is often referred to as _______. a)public sociology b)macrosociology c)feminist sociology d)qualitative sociology 21

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 1. What is the best research methodology to do this study? a)participant observation b)interviews c)survey research d)comparative research e)experimentation f)content analysis g)historical methods 22

© 2011 W. W. Norton Co., Inc. Discussion Questions 2. Much research is done on college campuses with college undergrads as research participants. Do you think this is a problem? a)Yes b)No 23

The Robert Taylor Homes, the site where Sudhir Venkatesh did the research featured in Gang Leader for a Day. You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Figure 2.1 The Research Cycle You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Infographic, The Research Cycle

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company How did studying lottery winners help sociologists understand the relationship between wealth and health?

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Figure 2.2 The Charge of Spuriousness

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company What is the white coat effect? Sociologist Mitch Duneier (center), who studied street-side book vendors for his book Sidewalk, talks with a police officer. To see an interview with Duneier, go to wwnorton.com/studyspace.

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Volunteer Phyllis Evans (center) questions a homeless man about his living situation and encourages him to seek help while conducting a survey with team members in New York City.

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Census taker talking with Charles F. Piper as he works on his car.

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Feminist sociologist France Winddance Twine (right) interviews Sharon Elizabeth Dawkins for an ethnography on interracial intimacy.

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Figure 2.3 The Research Process

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Three women study in the girls’ unit in San Jose Juvenile Hall. How did data from Lynne Haney’s participant observation challenge conventional wisdom about the experience of young women in the juvenile justice system?

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Children of a plantation sharecropper preparing food on a woodstove in a sparsely furnished shack in How did Jill Quadagno use historical methods to analyze the ways that people like these children were excluded from the benefits of the New Deal?

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Greek miners seeking work in the German Ruhr Basin in 1960 after West Germany began a guest worker program. What did Roger Brubaker’s comparative research about European immigration policies reveal about definitions of citizenship?

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company To learn more about Duncan Watts’s Music Lab experiment, you can watch my interview with him at wwnorton.com/studyspace.

You May Ask Yourself, 2nd Edition Copyright © 2011 W.W. Norton & Company Judith Stacey at a gay rights rally in Colorado. How is her research an example of public sociology?

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