The Sociological Perspective Chapter 2 Doing Sociology

The Sociological Perspective Theory-Building Process Theory Interrelated statements explaining some phenomenon Theory building includes: Inductive reasoning Using observations to make generalizations Deductive reasoning Theories are tested by observing

The Sociological Perspective Copyright (c) 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Concept Abstract idea or general thought Conceptual definition Defining a concept by using other concepts Operational definition Specifying how a concept is measured Identifying & Defining Concepts

The Sociological Perspective Variables Validity Reliability Correlation Causation Key Research Concepts

The Sociological Perspective The Scientific Research Model Follows Eight Basic Steps: 55 (1) Selecting a topic (2) Defining the problem (3) Reviewing the literature (4) Formulating a hypothesis (5) Choosing a research method (6) Collecting the data (7) Analyzing the results (8) Sharing the results Doing Sociological Research Research

The Sociological Perspective

Use of numbers and statistics Survey Experimental Design Secondary Analysis

The Sociological Perspective Secondary sources of information newspapers, historical documents, police reports, and other data collected by other agencies Advantages and Disadvantages 88 Secondary Analysis

The Sociological Perspective Selecting a Sample  Random Sample  Stratified Random Sample Asking Neutral Question Advantages/Disadvantages Surveys

The Sociological Perspective

Experimental Design  Determines cause and effect EXAMPLE—Therapy and Spousal Abuse  Experimental group—receive some sort of therapy  Control group—would not get therapy  Independent variable—something that causes the change in another variable (therapy)  Dependent variable—the variable that might change (spousal abuse)

The Sociological Perspective  Advantage: The independent variable can be isolated as the cause of change  Disadvantage: It is a controlled laboratory setting and not a natural setting.  12 ExperimentsExperiments

The Sociological Perspective A research design that uses systematic observation and focuses on the meanings people give to their social actions Participant Observation Unobtrusive Observation Ethnographic Interviews Case Studies

The Sociological Perspective The researcher observes individuals and they are aware of the researcher’s presence Nonparticipation  Advantage: The researcher is able to gather useful information  Disadvantage: The individual may not act naturally  14 Participant Observation

The Sociological Perspective The researcher observes individuals without the knowledge of the researcher ’ s presence Attempt to find indirect ways to obtain information  Advantage: The researcher can observe individuals acting naturally and true to themselves  Disadvantage: Ethical concerns on the part of the participants  15 UnobtrusiveObservationUnobtrusiveObservation

The Sociological Perspective Ethnographic Interviews Method used to learn from people’s culture, beliefs, values, customs, etc. Informant Objectivity and subjectivity

The Sociological Perspective Case Studies Intensive Observations of a person, group, or event Data gathering: ethnographic interviews and participant observations

The Sociological Perspective Combining Research Methods Triangulation Use of multiple techniques to gather or analyze research data Content Analysis Examines and analyzes communication Copyright (c) 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.