Chapter 1 9/16/ :051Geog 3250

Research Problem What Is a Social Research Problem? A statement about the social world Broad Socially relevant Clear Researchable Allow the researcher to make a contribution to existing knowledge Something that may be addressed by human actions 9/16/ :052Geog 3250

Research Problem Examples Young adults increasingly obese/overweight London diverts less waste from landfill than Toronto Technology (sometimes) negatively impacts social interaction Some people are healthy, and others are not 9/16/ :053Geog 3250

Tell us your problem… Carefully word a research problem (feel free to bounce your idea off of your neighbour before submitting). 9/16/ :05Geog Text and your message to i.e. type in the message “ This is my problem statement” OR Respond at this linkthis link OR Respond at PollEv.com/geog3250PollEv.com/geog3250 (note to self: “push” poll to this page now!) live poll results click hereclick here

Research Questions What Is a Research Question? Addresses a research problem Aids in scoping research Allow contributions to knowledge Relates to theory More general than an hypothesis May be a stepping stone to generating hypotheses 9/16/ :055Geog 3250

Research Questions Sources of good research questions 9/16/ :056Geog 3250 Observation Skepticism Reading about current knowledge Reflection

Research Questions Identifying good research questions Identify a topic that interests you Write down possible questions Ask yourself – is it feasible – answerable? Find out existing theory and research on this topic, ask experts Formulate as specific hypothesis where appropriate Identify central concepts 9/16/ :057Geog 3250

Exercise Work in pairs or triplets Select and reword one of your research problems Scope the problem into with two research questions Be prepared to share with the group 9/16/ :05Geog 32508

Theory What Is Theory? An explanation of observed regularities or patterns Purpose To understand pressing social problems To assess the adequacy of existing social theory 9/16/ :059Geog 3250

Components of a Theory Comprised of concepts Definitions Descriptions of the phenomena of interest Relational statements These can be deterministic or probabilistic 9/16/ :0510Geog 3250 Theory of individual/community wellness

Types of Theories Theories of the middle range Limited in scope and can be tested directly e.g., Durkheim’s theory of suicide, invasion succession and gentrification Grand theories General and abstract, cannot be tested directly e.g., structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism 9/16/ :0511Geog 3250

Grand Social Theories These should sound familiar. We also use them in social geography… 9/16/ :05Geog Click the image to watch videovideo

The Relationship between Theory and Research Two major forms of logic in social scientific enquiry: Deduction Induction 9/16/ :0513Geog 3250

The Relationship between Theory and Research DEDUCTION Using deduction, one begins with a theory or possible explanation for something, then goes out into the world and tests it. 9/16/ :0514Geog 3250

Observations Empirical Generalizations Deduction 9/16/ :0515Geog 3250

Induction Another way to conduct inquiry is by using induction. Here one begins by gathering or examining data, and then tries to derive concepts, and ultimately a theory or explanation from the data. 9/16/ :0516Geog 3250

Deduction and Induction 9/16/ :0517Geog 3250

Theory Hypotheses Observations Empirical Generalizations Deduction 9/16/ :0518Geog 3250

Theory Hypotheses Observations Empirical Generalizations Logic of Science INDUCTION DEDUCTION 9/16/ :0519Geog 3250

Induction Cont’d  Deriving theories or explanations from qualitative data is sometimes called grounded theory.  It is grounded because:  The data has primacy over theory because the theme emerges from looking at the data after it has been collected  It asks ‘How does this social space work?’ 9/16/ :0520Geog 3250

Epistemological Positions: Positivism Social scientists should use the same methods of inquiry that are used in the natural sciences. Empiricism: knowledge must be based on information gathered through the senses. A deductive approach (hypothesis testing) can be used to acquire knowledge. 9/16/ :0521Geog 3250

Epistemological Positions: Positivism In some instances induction may provide knowledge or generalizations or laws. Relies on scientific statements not normative statements. The former has no judgement attached. Thus, objectivity should be possible. 9/16/ :0522Geog 3250

Epistemological Positions: Interpretivism  Researchers should use inductive methods to try to grasp the subjective meanings of people’s actions.  Actions should be viewed from the point of view of the social actors, i.e., the people studied.  Researchers should develop an empathetic understanding of the people studied, sometimes referred to as verstehen (Weber). 9/16/ :0523Geog 3250

Ontological Positions Objectivist: social phenomena have a reality independent of our perceptions. Assumption / bias in research toward formal properties of social groups or interactions, Constructionist (‘hard’): what passes for reality is merely a set of mental constructions. Reality impossible to know without using constructions…so it does not exist on its own. Assumption / bias in research toward the changing nature of social organization. Academic’s job is to trace the implications of various constructions 9/16/ :0524Geog 3250

Ontological Positions, cont’d. Constructionist (‘soft’): There is an objective social reality. However, many of our ideas and perceptions are false or misguided because they have been constructed to justify distasteful forms of domination rather than a more positive and alternative objective social reality (that either existed in the past or in a vision of the future) academic’s job is to uncover that reality 9/16/ :0525Geog 3250 …and reality is changeable not biologically predetermined…

Ontological Positions, cont’d. Objectivist: social reality is fixed; we have little or no control over it. Constructionist: we create our social worlds through our actions, in particular through interaction and negotiation. 9/16/ :0526Geog 3250 Men and women construct the world differently?

Orientations: Quantitative and Qualitative Research Quantitative: Uses numbers and statistics in the collection and analysis of data. Qualitative: Uses mainly words and other non-numeric symbols in the collection and analysis of data. 9/16/ :0527Geog 3250

9/16/ :0528Geog 3250 Review

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Values Contribute to bias in research Choice of topic Formulation of the research question Choice of method Formulation of research design and data collection methods Actual data collection Analysis of data Interpretation of data Conclusions 9/16/ :0530Geog 3250

Values and enquiry In 1997 who was the fastest man on earth? What criteria? 100m? 200m? top speed? top speed average speed? 100m Ben Johnson 9.79 (1988 Olympics) Donovan Bailey 9.79 (1996 Olympics) Maurice Greene 9.79 (1997 Worlds) = 36.7km/h 200m Michael Johnson (37.3 km/h) (1996 Olympics) 9/16/ :05Geog DonovanBenMichael Usain 9.58 – 100m = 37.6 km/hr

Values Three different positions on values in social research: 1. Research should be value-free. 2. Research cannot be value-free, but researchers should be open and explicit about their values. 3. Researchers should use their values to direct and interpret their investigations: value commitment is a good thing for researchers to have. 9/16/ :0532Geog 3250

Politics Researchers sometimes ‘take sides’. Funding: Who gets it? Are strings attached? Research subjects/participants: who gets access? Are strings attached? Research findings: what sorts of findings are ‘acceptable’ to those who fund or publish research? 9/16/ :0533Geog 3250

Practical Considerations The choice of research method should match the research question. A research question states the purpose of the study in the form of a question. e.g., ‘Why is the consumption of alcohol legal, whereas pot use is illegal?’ Methods next day… 9/16/ :0534Geog 3250

Review Whether they achieve it or not, all social scientists strive to be value free – just like their natural science counterparts. 9/16/ :05Geog Phone number in your speeddial: True = False = OR Respond at this linkthis link live poll results click hereclick here No peeking upwards in the notes

Review According to our text, all constructionists subscribe to an ontology that there is no reality that is independent from concepts we use to describe our world – reality is entirely constructed by us. 9/16/ :05Geog Phone number in your speeddial: True = False = OR Respond at this linkthis link live poll results click hereclick here No peeking upwards in the notes