sociological research methods

why is sociological research important

our knowledge and personal experience is not sufficient in providing an understanding in what is happening in the world → so sociologists obtain their knowledge of human behavior through research

how can commonsense impact our view on sociology

because sociology deals with everyday life, we may think we already know “sociological facts” based on personal experience and media exposure

how do sociological perspectives play a role in research

theories are incorporated into research to arrive at a more accurate understanding of the “hows” and “whys” of human social interaction

how was suicide viewed and who changed it?

viewed as a criminal sin and mental illness, Emile Durkheim studied suicide and related it to the issue of cohesiveness

he said suicide was symptomatic of a large scale social problem

debunking

the unmasking of fallacies in everyday life

what do problems like suicide threaten

societal values → we cannot analyze these problems without acknowledging what values are involved

normative approach

relies on religion, customs, habits, traditions, and laws to answer questions

based on society’s beliefs on right and wrong

empirical approach (aka scientific approach)

attempts to answer questions through conclusions drawn from the systematic collection and analysis of data

two basic scientific method criteria must be met

1) scientific beliefs should be supported by good evidence or information

2) these beliefs should be open to public debate and critiques from other scholars, with alternative interpretations being considered → always be subject to criticism

relationship between theory and research

continuous cycle

theory

set of logically interrelated statements that attempt to describe, explain, and occasionally predict social events

research

the process systematically collecting information for the purpose of texting an existing theory or generating a new one

the theory and research cycle consists of

deductive and inductive approaches

deductive approach

researching begins with theory and uses research to test the theory

theory → research & test

inductive approach

starts with specific observations and then moves toward broader theories and generalizations

research → specific observations → theory → theory

theories generate

hypotheses

quantitative research

numerical analysis or manipulation of results with the aim to describe or explain topic of inquiry

qualitative research

interpretative description (rather than statistics) is used to analyze underlying meanings and patterns of social relationships

quantitative research model

1) select and define the research problem

2) review previous research: what have others written?

3) formulate a hypothesis

variable in quantitative research

any concept with measurable traits or characteristics that can change or vary

example: suicide (concept) → suicide rate (variable)

independent variable is presumed to cause or determine

a dependent variable

some events are too complex to be explain by one variable

they must be explained in terms of multiple causation

longitudinal study

what is happening over a long period of time or at several different points in time, they focus on understanding processes and social change

collecting and analyzing data

decide population, and select a sample (sample should accurately represent the population)

probability sampling

uses a random process to select participants, ensuring every member of the target population has an equal chance of being chosen

nonprobability sampling

snowball sampling, convenience sampling, and purposeful sampling → faulty methods

qualitative research

smaller number of variables and fewer cases, more flexible

asks questions and changes throughout