How Do We Know? Belief or Faith Expert Testimony Simple Agreement Science - a logical system that bases knowledge on direct systematic observation Relies on evidence. Most widely accepted way of knowing. This is where sociology falls.

2016 Presidential debate Who has the better temperament? Issue of validity Max Weber’s ideal type

Methods of Research Research Method – a systematic plan for doing research 4 Common Methods: Experiments Surveys Participant Observation Secondary Data

Experiments Experiments – a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions Explanatory (asks why) Tests Hypotheses Hypothesis - a statement of possible relationship between 2 or more variables; if-then statements Ideal Experiment has 4 Steps: Specify the IV and DV. (Conceptualization & Operationalization) Measure the initial value of the DV. (Pre-Test) Expose the DV to the IV. (Stimulus) Measure the DV again. (Post-Test) Sometimes use Experimental and Control Groups Experimental: Receives IV Control: Receives Nothing or Placebo

Survey Research Survey – a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions in a questionnaire or an interview Descriptive; good for studying attitudes. Population vs. Sample Population - the people who are the focus of the research Sample - the part of the population that represents the whole Random vs. Non-Random Random  All Subjects Have Equal Chance of Selection

Survey Research Two Types of Surveys: Questionnaire – a series of written questions a researcher presents to subjects Open-Ended vs. Close-Ended – Examples? Administration – Self vs. Interviewer; Phone vs. Mail Interviews - a series of questions a researcher administers in person to respondents Rapport, Probing, Influence Piloting – testing the survey on a small group before launching it fully; ensures that a survey is understandable

Other Research Methods Participant Observation - a research method in which investigators systematically observe people while joining in their routine activities AKA fieldwork, ethnography, case study Exploratory & Descriptive Entrée, Key Informant Secondary Analysis - a research method in which a researcher uses data collected by others Examples? Census & GSS Houston Area Survey

Street Corner Society

Participant observer research In the late 1930s, on a fellowship from Harvard University,Whyte lived in the North End of Boston, which was mostly inhabited by first- and second- generation immigrants from Italy. Whyte, who came from a well-to-do family, considered the neighborhood a slum, and wanted to learn more about its "lower class" society.[2] Whyte lived in that district for three and a half years, including 18 months he spent with an Italian family. Through this work, Whyte became a pioneer in participant observation.

10 Steps In Sociological Investigation Select and define a topic. What is your topic? Review the literature. What have others already learned? Develop key questions to ask. What, exactly, are your questions? Assess requirements for study. What will you need to carry out research? Consider ethical issues. Are there ethical concerns?

10 Steps In Sociological Investigation Select a research methodology. What method will you use? Collect the data. How will you record the data? Interpret the findings. What do the data tell you? State conclusions. What are your conclusions? Publish the findings. How can you share what you have learned?

Conclusion Sociology is simply a new way of knowing that can benefit you in many ways. Studying sociology requires: The Sociological Perspective The Sociological Imagination Sociologists build theory and gather evidence because sociology is a science. There are three major theoretical paradigms in sociology: Structural-Functional Symbolic-Interaction Social-Conflict

Conclusion “Common sense” about the social world is often inaccurate. There are three major methods of sociological inquiry: Scientific Sociology Interpretive Sociology Critical Sociology There are four major methods of sociological investigation: Experiments Surveys Participant Observation Secondary Analysis There are two ways to build theory: inductive & deductive. However, sociology – like all sciences – involves several steps including interpretation and presentation which can “spin” reality.