IDS2935- Sports as a Social Science

Module 1 (for quiz and test): 1-17 Module 1 (for test): 17-

Research

A systematic process of discovery and advancement of human knowledge

Who socializes indivudals into sports?

• Parents/Family

• Peers

• Schools

• Mass media

What does continual research do for our understanding of sports? Why do we have to do continual research?

1. Maintains and enhances our understanding

2. Our knowledge will never be absolute because changes in social, political, technological, and economic contexts all influence and are influenced by sport

Characteristics of Research

• Generated by a specific research question, hypothesis or problem

• Follows a specific plan or procedure

• Aims to increase understanding by interpreting facts and research conclusions based on those facts

• Requires reasoned argument to support conclusions

• Reiterative

The Research Process

1. Before data collection: researcher decides upon the research question, the aim of the research, the research objectives and, the theoretical framework that underlies the research

2. Designing how to collect the data, the methodology

3. Data is collected by one or more research methods

4. Analysis of data

5. Reporting of research findings

Purposes of Research

• To investigate some existing problem or situation

• Provide solutions to a problem

• Explore and analyze more general issues

• Explain a new phenomenon

• Combination of 2 or more above

What are the different types of research?

• Exploratory

• Descriptive

• Explanatory

• Predictive

What is exploratory research?

• Takes place when there is little or no prior knowledge of a phenomenon

• Initial exploration is needed before specific research can be done

• Looks for clues about a phenomenon, attempts to gain some familiarity with concepts, and looks for patterns or ideas emerging from the data without any preconceived ideas of explanations

• Generally followed up by further research that tests any ideas or hypotheses generated

• Identifies if something is happening or not

What is descriptive research?

• Describes a particular phenomenon

• Focuses upon the issue of what is happening, or how much of it has happened, rather than why it is happening

• No attempt to explain the results obtained, just simply reported

What is explanatory research?

• Explains why something happens, and assessing casual between variables

• Requires theoretical framework so an explanation can be deducted from the data

• Explains to what extent the relationship between things is

• Correlation or Causation

What is predictive research?

• Forecasts future phenomena, based on interpretations suggested by explanatory research

What is pure research?

• Takes place to explore a particular concept, or issue, without regard for a specific problem

• May be carried out to simply gain a better understanding of the overall concepts

What is applied research?

• Takes place to solve a specific problem or provide a solution to a practical question

What is primary research?

Research that has involved the collection of original data specific to that particular research project

What is secondary research?

• Research where no original data is collected, but uses existing sources of data

• Most research projects will contain an element of secondary research in establishing and evaluating the types of data that have been collected in previous research projects of the same topic

What is theoretical research?

• Develops abstract concepts about a natural or social phenomenon and relationships between those concepts

• Generally uses the findings from existing works to develop new ideas through analyzing existing theory and explanations

• New ideas are not tested through collection of primary data

• Creates theories based on logic

What is empirical research?

• Supports the development of new ideas through the collection of data

• Testing theories- want to build better theorieS

• modifies theory based on observations

Social Science

A category of academic disciplines concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

Natural Science

The science of naturally occurring objects or phenomena

• Precise

• Accurate

• Determinate

• Independent of researcher

• Yield same result/there is only one answer

Social Science

The science of people or collections of people and their individual or collective behavior

• Less accurate, determinate, or unambiguous

• Uncertainty

• High degree of measurement error

• Multiple answers based on multiple factors (like theories used)

Science

Systematic and organized body of knowledge that is acquired using the scientific method

Basic Science/Pure Science

Explains the most basic objects and forces, relationships between them, and laws governing them

Applied Science/Practical Science

Science that apply scientific knowledge from basic science in a physical environment

What is the purpose of science?

To create scientific knowledge

Scientific Knowledge

A generalized body of laws and theories to explain a phenomena or behavior or interest that are acquired using the scientific method

Laws

Observed patterns of phenomena or behavior

Theories

Systematic explanations of the underlying phenomena or behavior

Phenomena

Anything that can be studied

What is the goal of scientific research?

Discover laws and postulate theories that can build scientific knowledge

Types of scientific inquiry

Inductive and deductive research

Inductive Research

Infer theoretical concepts and patterns from observed data (theory-building research)

Deductive Researh

Tests existing concepts and theories using new empirical data (theory-testing research)

Scientific Method

Standardized set of techniques for building scientific knowledge

4 Key Characteristics of Scientific Method

• Logical

• Confirmable (inferences match evidence)

• Repeatable

• Scrutinizable (hold up in peer review and criticism)

Society

Refers to a group of people living in a definable community, who share a common culture, including shared beliefs, values, and practices, often with a recognized political authority, creating a system of social interactions and institutions within that community

Social Group

• A collection of people who interact with each other regularly and share a sense of common identity or belonging

• Typically defined by shared activities, interests, beliefs, or values

• Norms and attitudes established within group

Identity

• Who you are, how we see the world, what we believe and experience.

• Influenced by our interactions and environment constantly

Culture

• Mix of traditions, languages, and art that makes each group of people unique

• Ever-changing and driven by interactions

• Shapes and expresses who we are

Social Issues

Problems that affect a large number of individuals within a society

Sport

A human activity involving physical exertion and skill as the primary focus of the activity, with elements of competition or social participation where rules and patterns of behavior governing the activity exist formally through organizations and is generally recognized as a sport.

Why do we study sports socially?

• Reveals how sports reflect and influence societal norms, values, and structures

• Allows insight into social integration, community, identity, and the reinforcement or challenge of cultural values

• Trace societal evolution- attitudes and values

• Explore construction of identity and dynamics of inclusion and exclusion

• Examine tension of global and local pride

• Dynamic exploration of the intersections between sports and societal development.