Sociological Research Methods and Approaches

Objectivity

Personal neutrality in conducting research.

Value-free research

Sociologists remain dispassionate and detached.

Replication

Repetition of research by other investigators.

Research process

Collecting data to test or generate theories.

Theory

Explanation for phenomena providing insights.

Inductive reasoning

Specific observations lead to general theories.

Deductive reasoning

General theories lead to specific hypotheses.

Qualitative research

In-depth descriptive studies in natural settings. Provide rich data about the social world. Typically smaller population size and cannot be generalized to the broader population.

Quantitative research

Analysis involving numerical data and statistics. Helps us describe and better understand empirical social realities . Not as indepth as qualitative research

Population

Entire group being studied in research.

Sample

Subset of the population representing the whole.

Random sample

Sample drawn so every element has equal chance.

Dependent variable

Variable that changes in response to another.

Independent variable

Variable that causes change in another variable.

Causal relationship

One variable directly influences another variable.

Correlation

Indication that one factor may influence another.

Spurious correlation

When two variables appear to be related, but have different causes.
Use control variables to avoid spuriousness

What is the focus of positivist sociology?

Action and systematic observation of behavior

What type of data does positivist sociology favor?

Quantitative data

Where is positivist sociology best suited for research?

Laboratory settings

What is interpretive sociology?

Interpretive sociology focuses on the meanings people attach to their social world and emphasizes understanding the meaning that people create in their everyday lives.

What does interpretive sociology focus on?

Interpretive sociology focuses on the understanding of actions and claims that reality is subjective.

What methods does interpretive sociology favor?

Interpretive sociology often uses personal interviews and field research, and favors qualitative data over quantitative data.

What is critical sociology?

The study of society that focuses on the need for social change.

What is the Social Conflict Approach in sociology?

It is an approach that developed in reaction to perceived limitations of positivist sociology and rejects the idea that society exists as a natural system with a fixed order.

What is the dual purpose of sociology according to critical sociology?

Sociology is not only meant for research but also for changing society.

Hawthorne effect

Behavior change due to awareness of being studied.

Field research

Study of social life in natural settings.

Participant observation

Researcher engages in activities of the group.

Case study

In-depth analysis of a specific event or group.

Secondary analysis

Analyzing data collected by others.

Content analysis

Systematic examination of cultural artifacts.

What are experiments?

Carefully designed situations to study variable effects.

What is the experimental group?

Subjects who are exposed to the independent variable.

What is the control group?

Subjects who are not exposed to the independent variable.

Causation

Change in one variable caused by another.

Temporal priority

One event occurs before another in causation.

Unobtrusive measures

Research methods that do not disturb subjects.

Research ethics

Moral principles guiding sociological research.

Concept

A mental construct that represents some part of the world in a simplified form

Ethnography

Detailed study of life and activities of a group of people over a period of years

Variable

a concept whos value changes from case to case

Measurement

A procedure for determining the value of a variable

What are the four primary factors when deciding which method to use?

Access to resources, access to subjects, purpose of the research, the researchers background or training

Gender is sociological research

Gender is influential so researchers take steps to prevent it from biasing their findings

Interviewer Bias

effects of interviewers on respondents that lead to biased answers

Brajuha Research

Mario Brajuha was doing participant observation, He lost his job as a waiter when the restaurant burned down. He didn't show his notes because of confidentiality

Humphreys Research

misleading subjects--ethics. lookout for homosexual encounters, id'd license plates and asked participants questions

How do research and theory work together?

Both are essential, every theory must be tested, which requires research