Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis What is your superpower? Sociology 364 Quantitative Research Methods and Analysis What is your superpower?

Why you should take this course A short rant

Intellectual Reasons As a person Appreciate data Better listener Informed consumer Facts “everyone knows”

Social Facts (?) * Philosophy majors score higher on the LSAT than Sociology majors do * Owning a home leads to higher grades for child * Going to church makes you fat * Feminists make better partners

Correlation does not equal causation!!

SPSS Tattoos?

Instrumental Reasons Required for your degree Tell your parents you are learning something useful Survey methods and SPSS on resume Social science, public sector, public policy, marketing, financial analysis, risk assessment, education, human resources Washington Post Job Search Bring resume to class exercise

Intellectual Reasons, pt. 2 As a sociologist Move beyond consumption to discovery Fun?? Create new knowledge Community Service Learning Rappahannock Legal Services UMW Campus Climate Fredericksburg Survey of Homeless Attitudes Intentional Communities

Rappahannock Legal Services Repeat Contact: Ann Kloeckner (Wednesday) http://rapplegal.com/ Needs Assessment Survey to be updated, disseminated, entered, analyzed Issues: legal issues, poverty, inequality, race/ethnicity, gender, immigrant status Target N: 100+ low income residents Involves travel to Tappahannock and Culpeper if available

UMW Campus Climate Repeat Contact: Leah Cox, Diversity & Inclusion (Wednesday) Campus survey to assess discrimination Issues: student discrimination, race/ethnicity, gender, class, religion, politics, sexual orientation, campus activities Survey: updated, disseminated, entered, analyzed Target N: All UMW students

Attitudes about Local Homeless New Contact: Fredericksburg Continuum of Care, Kate Gibson, Danielle O’Leary (Friday) http://www.fredericksburgcoc.org/ Population: Residents of District 16 Surveys: N = 300, currently being administered; will need cleaning and analysis Issues: attitudes about homeless population and knowledge of homeless issues and solutions; demographics

Intentional Communities New Contact: Dr. Schleef (Friday) Needs Assessment Survey to be administered Issues: intentional communities, inequalities, alternatives economies, what’s working, what isn’t, demographics Survey: written, but to be tweaked and administered (some face to face, some on line), then entered and analyzed Target N: 100 residents of 5+ communes Will involve visiting communes