Download Sociological Research Methods Assessment

Kearney Sociology
Sociological Research Methods – Mini Literature Review
Background information:
During Term 3, you will be working on your Investigation Project (IP), which is externally
assessed. The IP requires you to use research methods.
Sociology employs a systematic research process to questions and problems in an attempt to achieve objective
observation, collection and analysis of data. Sociologists work to develop a reliable and valid body of knowledge
based on research. In so doing, they adhere to certain ethical codes of conduct. (Tasmanian Assessment,
Standards & Certification, 2016).
After brainstorming ideas for a topic or research question, a sociologist will conduct a literature
review to find out what has already been written on the selected topic. Following this, they will
write a summary of the information they have found.
A literature review is used to show that you have read, evaluated, and comprehended the
published research on a particular topic. A literature review is structured to show to your
teacher/assessor that you understand the work that has been done in the past on a topic, and will
serve as a jumping off point for whatever research you are conducting.
Writing a literature review will require you to
1) Locate published research on a topic
2) Read those materials
3) Write a description and evaluation of the works.
Assessment details:
Imagine you are beginning a research report:
1. Select ONE research topic/question from the list provided. The topics are based on the
work we have been doing on socialisation and gender.
2. Locate THREE different sources of research that relate to the topic you have selected.
Different sources: internet site or document, book, television program, podcast, radio
transcript, journal article etc.
3. Summarise the information found in each of the THREE sources and explain how it
links to the research topic/question. Aim to write approximately 200 words per source
(600 words total).
4. Ensure that you use the APA referencing guide on the class blog
(www.kearneysociology.wordpress.com) to reference your sources.
Criteria:
1. *analyse theories about socialisation, identity construction and deviance.
5. *use ethical sociological research methods
Due: Thursday 24th March
Kearney Sociology
Research topics/questions
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Is gender socially constructed? (In other words, do we learn to be masculine/feminine or
are we born with a gender identity?)
Is gender static? (In other words, is our gender unchanging/inflexible or do we ‘DO’
gender?)
Is there a dominant masculinity in society? (e.g. hegemonic masculinity – R.W. Connell)
IMPORTANT: these question greatly overlap. Information that you find from many of
the sources below can be used for any of these questions.
Sources:
Books:
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Public Sociology by Germov & Poole (2015) – class textbook
Sociology (5th ed.) by Giddens (2006) – handout in class
The sociology section of the school library has many textbooks which are likely to
have whole chapters on gender.
Go to Google Books and enter key words (e.g. sociology/gender/doing
gender/masculinity/hegemonic masculinity) – reference google books sources in the
same way as you’d reference a physical book from library.
Podcasts:
http://gas.sagepub.com/content/suppl/2015/07/07/0891243214548923.DC1/GAS_Wooden.
mp3 (How boys are represented in Pixar films – Masculinities)
http://gas.sagepub.com/content/suppl/2015/06/11/0891243214558262.DC1/GAS_Barnes2.
mp3 (Conceiving masculinity)
http://gas.sagepub.com/content/suppl/2012/02/10/25.4.451.DC1/GAS_Breanne_Fahs.mp3
(Women and body hair – gender construction)
Websites and web documents:
ABC News website
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-19/gender-on-the-brain-male-and-female-brainsstudy/7179088 (the social construction of gender/doing gender)
http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c11/e1-17-02-01.pdf (Masculinities - Connell)
https://www.amherst.edu/media/view/248665/original/Connell.pdf (Masculinities - Connell)
http://88.255.97.25/reserve/resfall07_08/soci403_brankin/week12.pdf (The social construction
of gender)
Journal article:
http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1149&context=artspapers (Masculinities –
Connell)
http://homes.lmc.gatech.edu/~cpearce3/ResearchPapers/West%20and%20Zimmerman,%20D
oing%20Gender.pdf (Doing Gender – C. West and D. Zimmerman)
Kearney Sociology
Example:
Research question: Is gender static?
Source 1: Chapter in edited book
The argument put forth by West and Zimmerman (1991) seems to suggest that an individual’s
gender is not static. Rather, it is changeable and this is due to their understanding of gender as a
social construct. In other words, they argue that gender is learnt through both institutions (e.g.
family, school etc.) and through everyday interactions. West and Zimmerman (1991) explain in
their chapter ‘Doing Gender’ that gender ought to be distinguished from the terms sex and sex
category. While an individual’s sex is decided at birth and based on their genitalia or sex
chromosomes, sex category is the label an individual is given based on what others perceive their
sex to be (e.g. if an individual has short hair and is wearing a suit, others may assume the
individual’s sex as male, therefore their sex category is male). Sex category is the assumed sex of
the individual, regardless of the Individual's actual sex, based on his or her body and behaviours
(West & Zimmerman, 1987). Gender is different to sex category. Gender, argue West and
Zimmerman (1991, p. 43), is ‘…the activity of managing situated conduct in light of normative
conceptions of attitudes and activities appropriate for one’s sex category’. In other words, gender
involves continual management in social contexts, whereby an individual is constantly
performing as ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’.
Reference:
This is a chapter in an edited book. Therefore it needs to be referenced in the following
format:
West, C., & Zimmerman, D.H. (1991). Doing gender. In S. Jackson & S. Scott (Ed.), Gender: A
sociological reader (pp. 42-47). New York, NY: Routledge.