Download Lesson 3 Sociological Research Methods

Lesson 3
Sociological Research Methods
Robert Wonser
Introduction to Sociology
Lesson Outline
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An Overview of Research Methods
Qualitative Methods
Quantitative Methods
Issues in Sociological Research
(Ethics)
Introduction to Sociology:
Sociological Research Methods
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Sociology and Common Sense
 True or False:
 U.S. black/white income gap has
narrowed significantly in recent years.
 The ratio of black-to-white family income
has consistently been around 55-60% ever
since the major civil rights laws were
passed in the 1960s. There has been some
fluctuation, but not much (Farley 1995, in
Farley 1998).
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Sociological Research Methods
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Sociology and Common Sense
 True or False:
 On average, men have a higher
tolerance for both pain and
temperature extremes than women do.
 On average, women tolerate pain, heat,
and cold better than men do when
physiological tests are performed. However,
U.S. culture socializes men to be “tough”
more than it does women–so women may
often act wimpier!
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Sociological Research Methods
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Sociology and Common Sense
 True or False:
 Most homeless people choose to be
homeless.
 Only ~ 6% of homeless people are that
way by choice (Kendall 2000). 40+% of
homeless adults are actually employed.
(Population Review Bureau supplement).
Over 1/4 of homeless women get that way
fleeing domestic violence.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Sociology and Common Sense
 True or False:
 Teenage pregnancies have increased
dramatically since the 1950s.
 Actually, they decreased over past half
century; teens less likely to marry/start
family. Percentage of teen pregnancies
involving unmarried teens increased
dramatically (but even that has been
dropping since the early 1990s). (Kendall
1996)
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Sociological Research Methods
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An Overview of Research Methods
 Quantitative research uses data that
can easily be converted into numbers,
such as a survey or an experiment.
 Qualitative research involves data
that cannot easily be converted to
numbers, such as observation or
informal interviews.
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Sociological Research Methods
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An Overview of Research Methods
(cont’d)
 Most sociological research uses the
scientific method, which is the
standard for acquiring and verifying
empirical (scientific) knowledge.
 Why is the use of the scientific
method so important?
 What is the alternative?
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Sociological Research Methods
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An Overview of Research Methods
(cont’d)
 After conducting a literature
review, a researcher forms a
hypothesis (study time affects exam
grade) stating a potential relationship
between two or more variables
(study time, exam grade).
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Sociological Research Methods
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An Overview of Research Methods
(cont’d)
 These variables must be clearly
defined so that they can be
measured.
 Variables must be operationalized,
that is defined in such a way that can
be measured.
 Finally, data is collected and the
hypothesis can be tested.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Qualitative Methods
 One way to collect to data is through
ethnography, a naturalistic method based
on studying people in their own
environment in order to understand the
meanings they attribute to their activities.
 Ethnography is often a two-part activity:
active participation in and observation of a
naturally occurring setting, and a written
account (field notes) of what goes on there.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Qualitative Methods
 In participant observation the
researcher both observes and
becomes a member in a social
setting.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Qualitative Methods
 Interviews involve direct, face-to-face
contact with respondents, and often can
generate large amounts of qualitative data.
 As in most research, the researcher
identifies the target population that she
wishes to study, and then selects a sample
of people to be interviewed from that
population.
 Why use a sample?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Qualitative Methods (cont)
 Interviews:
 A closed-ended question imposes a limit on
the possible responses: for example, “Are you
for or against couples living together before they
are married?”
 An open-ended question allows the answer to
take whatever from the respondent chooses:
“What do you think about couples living together
before they are married?”
 Why use one over the other?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Quantitative Methods
 Surveys are questionnaires that are
administered to a sample of respondents
selected from a target population.
 Survey research tends to look at largescale social patterns and employs statistics
and other mathematical means of analysis.
 Most commonly used research method in
sociology!
 How come?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Quantitative Methods (cont)
 Experiments are formal tests of
specific variables and effects that are
performed in a controlled setting
where all aspects of the situation can
be controlled.
 Used to demonstrate cause and effect
 Least commonly used method in
sociology
 How come?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Quantitative Methods (cont)
 Many experiments involve using an
experimental group, which is the
part of the test group that receives
the experimental treatment, and a
control group, which is the part of
the test group that is allowed to
continue without intervention so that
it can be compared with the
experimental group.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Quantitative Methods (cont)
 A researcher will investigate whether
an independent variable (IV)
causes changes in the dependent
variable (DV).
 IV comes first (time order)
 DV is effected by the IV; comes after
the IV in time
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Sociological Research Methods
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Existing Sources
 Existing Sources refer to any data that
has already been collected by earlier
researchers and is available for future
research.
 This can include sources such as census
data, newspapers, photography, and
cultural artifacts.
 Using existing data is usually less involved
than collecting original data and also gives
researchers access to distant places and
times.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Issues in Sociological Research
 The research methods described so
far are often applied outside the field
of sociology.
 Some examples include the US
Census, political campaign offices,
business, and market research.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Issues in Sociological Research
(cont’d)
 Most sociologists believe that they should
not allow their personal beliefs to influence
their research.
 Max Weber wrote the classic sociological
statement on this issue.
 He coined the phrase value-free
sociology, an ideal whereby researchers
identify facts without allowing their own
personal beliefs or biases to interfere.
 How likely is this?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Issues in Sociological Research
(cont’d)
 The American Sociological Association
has developed its own set of code of
ethics to assist researchers avoid
bias, adhere to professional
standards, and protect respondents
from harm.
 ASA Code of Ethics
 Why is a code of ethics necessary?
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Sociological Research Methods
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Issues in Sociological Research
(cont’d)
 The case of Laud Humphreys and the
Tearoom Trade
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‘Watchqueen’
License plates
54% of the men were married
38% were neither bisexual nor homosexual
Most of the men were successful, well educated,
economically stable, and highly praised in the
community.
 Only 14% of the men he observed were
homosexual and part of the gay community
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Sociological Research Methods
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Issues in Sociological Research
(cont’d)
 Most universities where research is
conducted also have an institutional
review board, a group of scholars
within a university who meet
regularly to review and approve the
research proposals of their colleagues
and make recommendations for how
to protect human subjects.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Take Away Points
 Sociology uses the scientific method
to understand society.
 This can be done either qualitatively
(rich, detailed data and thick
descriptions) or quantitatively (using
data easily converted into numbers)
or a combination of both.
 Ethics plays a crucial role in the study
of human social activity.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Lesson Quiz
1. The individuals that a sociologist
interviews as part of a research
project would be a part of the:
a. sample.
b. experimental group.
c. dependent variable.
d. control group.
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Lesson Quiz
2. The following question, “What do you
think about couples living in sin?”
would be an example of a/an:
a. leading question.
b. informed question.
c. double-barreled question.
d. closed-ended question.
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Sociological Research Methods
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Lesson Quiz
3. What would the independent variable
be in an experiment where a
sociologist is testing whether or not
watching television impacts a
student’s grade on an exam?
a. the student
b. the researcher
c. the exam grade
d. the watching of television
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Sociological Research Methods
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4. Who coined the phrase “value-free
sociology?”
a. Karl Marx
b. Max Weber
c. Emile Durkheim
d. W.E.B. DuBois
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Sociological Research Methods
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Lesson Quiz
5. Each academic discipline has developed its
own __________ to provide guidelines for
researchers to consult as they design a
research project.
a. review board
b. code of ethics
c. Nuremberg code
d. research review board
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Sociological Research Methods
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For Next Time:
 How does the biological human
become a finished product fit for
human society?
 Culture
 Read! (check your syllabus for
assigned readings!)
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Sociological Research Methods
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