Sociology Research methods

Starter Look at the picture below. What are some questions a sociologist would ask while interpreting this picture? syria-lebanon-border.cnn?iref=videosearch syria-lebanon-border.cnn?iref=videosearch

What did we talk about yesterday?

Guess Who? – Round 2 Fact: Believed the structure of society intertwines with economic structure. Sociologist: Karl Marx

Guess Who? – Round 2 Fact: Coined the term ‘function’ for the interrelated parts of society. Sociologist: Emile Durkheim

Guess Who?- Round 2 Fact: Influenced heavily by Charles Darwin. Sociologist: Herbert Spencer

Guess Who?- Round 2 Fact: Conceptualized social statics and social dynamics Sociologist: Auguste Comte

Guess Who?- Round 2 Fact: Conceptualized the ‘ideal type’ as a key feature of societies. Sociologist: Max Weber

How do sociologists gather info? Through ‘social research’

Social research Sociologists usually study the structure and function of various features in society. Also interested in behaviors- their frequency in a given situation, and how groups of similar individuals act in a given circumstance. It is usually a topic a sociologist is interested in that they conduct their research on.

Causation and Correlation - Causation= the causes behind an event. -Sociologists examine cause and effect by looking at the variables, or characteristics, involved. -Sociologists must also determine whether or not there is a correlation between two variables. - Correlation= a change in one variable regularly associates with a change in another variable.

Remember… Correlation does not equal causation!!!! Example: A rise in ice cream sales leads to a rise in drowning victims.

The Research Process 1) Define the problem  select a problem and clearly state what you want to study. 2) Review the Literature  see what else is out there; you don’t have to come up with a completely new topic. 3) Form a Hypothesis  it should be testable - hypothesis= statement predicting the relationship between two variables.

Research Process (cont’d) 4) Choose a Research Design  how are you going to collect data, and then analyze it? 5) Collect the Data  can vary in amount of time; make sure to record everything! 6) Analyze the Data  does the data that you collected support your research hypothesis? 7) Presenting Conclusions  draw the conclusion and present your findings to others. By sharing your findings, you are adding to the body of sociological knowledge.

Research Methods 1)Survey Method  questionnaires, interviews. 2)Experiments 3)Observational studies 4)Analysis of existing sources -Historical method -Content Analysis

Existing Sources Historical Method  Use of an existing source to gather information; often used to discover trends from the past. ***DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WRITTEN*** Content Analysis  Used for recorded information; count the umber of times something appears in a dialogue. - Computers have improved the ease of this greatly.

Analyzing data Once you have gathered your data, it is important to analyze it in a meaningful way to draw the best conclusions. If data is not analyzed correctly, or if there is incorrect data, it could lead to inaccurate results. 1/My%20Gifs%20to%20Me/tumblr_lku3a7EN0v1qard53 o1_500.gif

Terminology Validity = the extent to which a measurement procedure is capable of measuring what it is supposed to measure. Reliability = the capability of a method to produce the same results over a period of time. Applicability= can the results be applied to your hypothesis? Bias= prejudice for or against.

Ethics American Sociological Association’s Code of Ethics p. R2 in book. 5 Principles that guide: 1)Professional Competence 2)Integrity 3)Professional and Scientific Responsibility 4)Respect for People’s Rights, Dignity and Diversity 5)Social responsibility Guide sociologists as they conduct research- the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’