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Chapter 2
Sociological Research
Methods
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What is Sociological Inquiry?
• Is the systematic analysis of themotivations and behavior ofindividuals within groups
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W!" IS S#CI#$#%IC&$ R'S'&RC!('C'SS&R"?
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Common Sense andSociological Research
• Common sense may tell us thatpeople who threaten suicide willnot commit suicide
–Sociological research indicatesthat people who threaten to )illthemselves may attemptsuicide
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Common Sense andSociological Research
• Common sense may tell us thatsuicide is caused by despair ordepression
–Research shows that some youngerpeople commit suicide becausethey believe there is no way out of
their problems
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• !istorically* the commonsense view ofsuicide was that it was a sin* a crime* and amental illness
•
'mile +ur)heim related suicide to the issueof cohesiveness in society
– In Suicide* +ur)heim documented hiscontention that a high suicide rate was
symptomatic of large,scale societalproblems
– !is approach to research still influencesresearchers
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+iscussion
• Why is it important to rely onresearch rather than personale-perience?
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!ow Much +o "ou .now &boutSuicide?
• True or False?
– In the /nited States* suicide occurs onthe average of one every 01 minutes
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!ow Much +o "ou .now &boutSuicide?
• True
– & suicide occurs on the average of every01 minutes in the /nited States
– his differs with respect to the se-*race3ethnicity* and age of the individual
• Men are four times more li)ely to )ill
themselves than are women
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!ow Much +o "ou .now &boutSuicide?
• True or False?
– &lcohol and drugs are outlets for angerand thus reduce the ris) of suicide
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!ow Much +o "ou .now &boutSuicide?
• False
– '-cessive use of alcohol or drugs mayenhance a person4s feelings of anger
and frustration* ma)ing suicide agreater possibility
• his ris) appears to be especially high formen who abuse alcohol or drugs
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Sociology and Scientific'vidence
• Sociology involves debunking,unmas)ing false ideas or opinions
• here are two approaches toanaly5ing issues involving values6
– (ormative
– 'mpirical
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he (ormative &pproach
• he normative approach usesreligion* customs* habits* traditions*and law to answer important
questions – It is based on beliefs about what is right
and wrong and what 7ought to be8 in
society
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he 'mpirical &pproach
• he empirical approach attempts toanswer questions through systematiccollection and analysis
– his is referred to as the scientificmethod* and is based on the assumptionthat )nowledge is gained by direct*
systematic observation
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Sociology and ScientificStandards
• wo basic scientific standards mustbe met6
– Scientific beliefs should be supported by
good evidence or information
– hese beliefs should be open to publicdebate and critiques from other
scholars* with alternative interpretationsbeing considered
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ypes of 'mpirical Studies
• Descriptive studies attempt to describesocial reality or provide facts about somegroup* practice* or event
– +esigned to find out what is happeningto whom* where* and when
• Explanatory studies attempt to e-plaincause and effect relationships and toprovide information on why certain eventsdo or do not occur
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heory and Research Cycle
• & theory is a set of logically interrelatedstatements that attempts to describe*e-plain* and 9occasionally: predict social
events
• Research is the process of systematicallycollecting information for the purpose oftesting an e-isting theory or generating anew one
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!' S#CI#$#%IC&$R'S'&RC! ;R#C'SS
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Research can be quantitativeor qualitative• Quantitative research focuses on
data that can be measurednumerically 9comparing rates of
suicide* for e-ample:
• Qualitative research focuses oninterpretive description rather than
statistics to analy5e underlyingmeanings and patterns of socialrelationships
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Conventional ResearchModel
0 Select and define the researchproblem
2 Review previous research
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• Hypothesis>a statement of therelationship between two or more concepts – '-ample6 +epression causes suicide
•
he independent variable is presumed tocause or determine a dependent variable – '-ample6 depression
• he dependent variable is assumed to
depend on or be caused by the independentvariable – '-ample6 suicide
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Conventional ResearchModel
+evelop the research design
@ Collect and analy5e the data
In random sampling* every member ofan entire population being studied hasthe same chance of being selected
In probability sampling* participants
are deliberately chosen because theyhave specific characteristics includingage* se-* race3ethnicity* or education
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Conventional ResearchModel
• 1 +raw conclusions and report thefindings
alidity is the e-tent to which a study or
research instrument accurately measureswhat it is supposed to measure
Reliability is the e-tent to which a studyor research instrument yields consistent
results when applied to differentindividuals at one time or to the sameindividuals over time
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R'S'&RC! M'!#+S
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Research Methods60Survey Research
• & survey is a poll in which the researchergathers facts or attempts to determine therelationships among facts
– Respondents are persons who provide datafor analysis
– Questionnaire>a printed researchinstrument containing a series of items
–
!ntervie">a data collection encounter inwhich an interviewer as)s the respondentquestions and records the answer
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+iscussion
• !ave you ever been as)ed toparticipate in a survey? What didyou thin) of the e-perience?
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Research Methods6Secondary &nalysis of '-isting +ata
• Researchers use e-isting materialand analy5e data that were
originally collected by others• Sources include public records*
official reports* and data from earlier
surveys
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Research Methods6=ield Research
Field Research A is the study of sociallife in its natural setting6 #bserving andinterviewing people where they live*wor)* and play %enerates observationsthat are best described verbally ratherthan numerically
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&pproaches to =ieldResearch
• #articipant observation – Collecting observations while part of the
activities of the group being studied• $ase %tudy , &n in,depth* multifaceted
investigation of a single event* person* orsocial grouping
– & collective case study involves multiplecases
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&pproaches to =ieldResearch
• &nstructured intervie" – an e-tended* open,ended interaction
between an interviewer and aninterviewee
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Research Methods6'-periments
• '-periments are carefully designedsituations in which the researcherstudies the impact of certain variablesand subBects4 attitudes or behavior – Experimental group>the group that
contains the subBects who are e-posed toan independent variable
– $ontrol group>the group containing thesubBects that are not e-posed to theindependent variable
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'!IC&$ ISS/'S I(S#CI#$#%IC&$ R'S'&RC!
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&S& Code of 'thics
Sociologists must follow the &mericanSociological &ssociation4s Code of 'thics
0 +isclose research findings in full andinclude all possible interpretations of thedata
2 Safeguard the participants right to
privacy and dignity while protectingthem from harm
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&S& Code of 'thics
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+iscussion
• Why is it important to abide by theethical guidelines?
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Roles of the Sociologists
• &s Social reformer
• &s an &dministrator
•
& Research Scientist• & teacher
• & policy consultant
• &s a technician
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References•
Colon* Salvacion 2DD1 Sociology6 &Simplified &pproach
• .endall* +iana 2D0
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he end