Sociology

Sociology

Sociology is the scientific study of human groups and social life.

social, economic and cultural factors that influence individuals

Sociologists

Sociologists, through studying society and social interactions, seek to understand:

why we behave the way we do, how society works?

Qualitative data

words, pictures, objects, symbols, observations (descriptive data)

quantitative data

qualities, measurements, fractions, ratios (numbers)

Survey

set of questions about attributes, beliefs or behaviours

Interviews

in depth meetings with individuals or small groups to gain a richer understanding of their personal or social experiences

document analysis

detailed review of written and/or visual documentation such as newspaper, historical records, or social media posts to understand human experience

experiements

controlled research that involves testing the effect of one variable on another, comparing results from a control group to an experiment.

ethics

moral dilemmas researchers face when conducting and reporting on research

ethics methodology

process used to conduct socially responsible research

protecting privacy, consent, confidentiality of the people

TASA - THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

An official professional body that issues guidelines for ethical procedures that all must follow to prevent harm to participants.

What is informed consent?

A formal agreement between an individual to participate in the research.

What should be explained to participants during informed consent?

Key features of research, its purpose, procedures, risks, and benefits.

What information about privacy is included in informed consent?

How participants' privacy and confidentiality will be respected.

Voluntary participation

Willing involvement of research participants.

Voluntary participation

Participants have the right to refuse or withdraw without having to give a reason.

Can participants consent to all questions in research and still choose to withdraw?

Yes, participants can consent to all questions and still choose to withdraw.

What does privacy ensure regarding personal information?

Personal information is held securely and is not available to the public.

What does privacy minimize the risks of?

Personal sensitive information that can identify individuals.

How is participant anonymity protected in privacy?

Information is coded to protect the anonymity of the participants.

What is confidentiality of data for sociologists?

Protecting data gathered from the research participants.

How should research data be stored?

Carefully and securely.

What is the responsibility of the sociologist?

To protect the identity and personal information from unauthorized disclosure or use.

Sociological Imagination

critical thinking tool used to explore the social world from multiple points of view, free from assumption and bias

Who is Charles Wright Mills?

An American sociologist known for his work on the impact of social forces on individuals' public and private lives

What is the link that Charles Wright Mills emphasizes in his work?

The link between personal behaviors and public issues.

Personal troubles

An issue for which people blame an individual personal behaviours and public issues

Public Issue

a social issue affecting many individuals stemming from social culture and structures of a society

What are historical factors?

How has the past influenced the present?

What are cultural factors?

How does culture affect our lives?

What are structural factors?

How does the economy shape our choices?

What are critical factors?

Why is it this way?

social norms

shared expectations or rules of behaviour within a particular social group, culture

benefits and limitations of social norms

benefits: adequately address people's needs, identify social forces

Limitations: can be discriminatory and prejudiced

sterotypes

assumptions about individuals based on their social group membership rather than individual characteristics

social category

share at least one similar characteristic, but do not necessarily interact with each other

What do social categories help to do

understand and respond to trends related to different groups, face disadvantages

What is a social construct?

A concept created and defined by society or a particular social group.

What shapes a social construct?

Norms, beliefs, and values.

How can social constructs vary?

They can vary across cultures and time.

media

any form of communication used to transmit information, entertainment or ideas

What needs to be considered in the media

inclusion and exclusion

FAPO Method

Form, Attitudes, Positioning, Omission

cultural factors

diverse set of learnt values beliefs, customs and practices of a particular group or society

ethnicity

shared to cultural heritage and ways of life, fundamental to the construction of personal identity.

Religion

set of beliefs and practices that involve the worship of a higher power limited or powers and ofetn provided a moral code for beliefs to follow

Economic factors

relate to the impact that social classes and socioeconomic status have on people within society

intergenerational inequity

unfair distribution of resources opportunites, and wealth between different age cohorts and generations