Download Chapter 2

What Do
Sociologists Do?
Chapter 2
What Is a Valid Sociological
Topic?

Any kind of human behaviour &
social interaction
 Macro & micro level analyses

The Difference Between “Common
Sense” & Sociological Research
 Testing vs. assuming or guessing
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-2
How Not to Do Research
Choose a biased sample
 Ask biased questions
 List biased choices
 Discard undesirable results

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-3
Six Research Methods
Surveys
 Participant Observation
 Qualitative Interviews
 Secondary Analysis
 Documents
 Unobtrusive Measures

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-4
Surveys
Samples
 Population
 Random Samples
 Strategies for Asking Questions
 Questionnaires & interviews:

• Self-administered
• Structured interviews
• Closed-ended questions
 Establishing
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
rapport
2-5
Participant Observation
(Fieldwork)
Participating in the research setting
 Observation & recording
 The problem of “generalizability” vs.
rich specific description

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-6
Qualitative Interviews

‘Structured conversation’
 Interview schedule
 Feminist perspectives

Highly descriptive analysis, but not
always viewed as objective by more
conventional researchers
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-7
Secondary Analysis
Analyze data already collected by
others
 Data Liberation Initiative


Excellent source of information, but
one can not be sure of how
systematically the original data
were gathered
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-8
Documents

Examine books, newspapers,
diaries, bank records, police reports,
household accounts, immigration
files, etc.
Usually best to utilize multiple
sources or types of sources
 Access to source material can pose
a problem

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-9
Unobtrusive Methods

Subjects do not know they are
being or the things they leave
behind will be studied
 Trash
 Graffiti
 Graveyards
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-10
Deciding Which Method to
Use
Quantitative Research Methods
 Measurement, numbers, statistics
 Structured questionnaires or surveys
 Qualitative Research Methods
 Observation, description, &
interpretation
 Participant observation or qualitative
interviews

Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-11
Deciding Which Method to Use
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-12
A Research Model: Eight Basic
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Selecting a Topic
Defining the Problem
Reviewing the Literature
Formulating a Hypothesis or
Research Question
• Hypothesis
• Variables
• Operational definitions
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-13
A Research Model: Eight Basic
Steps (continued)
5.
6.
7.
8.
Choosing a Research Method
Collecting the Data
1. Validity
2. Reliability
Analyzing the Results
Sharing the Results
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-14
The Research Model
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-15
Ethics in Sociological
Research

Three Cases
 The Brajuha Research (1986)
• Arson & an ethical double bind
 The
Scarce Research (1991)
• Animal Liberation Front & confidentiality
 The
Humphreys Research (1970,
1971, 1975)
• Tearoom Trade & sociological snooping
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-16
How Research & Theory Work
Together

Interdependent
 Theory stimulates research
 Research stimulates the
development of theory
Copyright © 2007 Pearson Education Canada
2-17