Dr. H taking a nap!

• All these theories!

• How do we apply them? And what do we apply them to?

• It’s exhausting!

Not to worry… Research helps us “sniff it out”

and is informed by our perspectives

e.g., conflict, functionalSymbolic interaction

Two major analytical approaches

• “Skip Rock”• Quantitative (measurable phenomena)

Opinion polls, surveys – e.g., church attendance

Based on the goal of “objectivity” (cause and effect)

“Conventional approach”

• “Anchor”• Qualitative -- gathers information

by using interpretation to get at deeper meanings

• Words rather than statistics to describe findings

• “why” versus “how often”

In a Research Study, Scientists:

• Ask a question

• Or test a hypothesis– The more social networks one is

involved in, the less likely he/she is to consider suicide.

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What are the social conditions

that influence suicide?

Deductive versus Inductive

Variables are measurable

Hypothesis – statement of expected relationships.Deductive – general to specificInductive – specific to general

Aim of social research is ……

Operationalization – specify what is to be studied• Variables = a characteristic that can change in

value or magnitude under different conditions– Attitudes– Behaviors– Traits

Independent (cause) /dependent (outcome)

Suicide – Independent of other social phenomena or dependent?

The Empirical Approach

• The empirical approach attempts to answer questions through systematic collection and analysis.– This is referred to as the scientific

method, and is based on the assumption that knowledge is gained by direct, systematic observation.

Question• In the book Suicide, Emile Durkheim used

the _____ as the independent variable to determine its influence on the dependent variable, the rate of suicide.

a. degree of social integration in societyb. proportion of mental illness in societyc. degree of the spread of hysteria in the

late 19th centuryd. degree of religious participation

• Sample—The part of the population that is studied

» - Probability sample—each person or thing has an equal chance of being selected; results can be generalized to the larger population

» - Nonprobability sample—researchers rely on convenience or availability or theoretical perspective

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Types of Samples

• If Suicide rate is DV –

•what might be some IVs?

•Religiosity? Married? Membership in social institutions?, strong or weak ties?

•Poor? Wealthy?

Using the conventional quantitative approach --- sociologists talk about correlation—the relationship between variables—rather than causation.

Using the qualitative approach --- sociologists look for meaning and cause as it’s explained by the population being studied.

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Correlation v. Causation

• Correlation exists when two variable are associated more frequently than could be expected by chance.

Functionalists might ask

• Suicide: • “How do strong or weak social

bonds in society correlate with suicide rates?”

• To find out they might compare church attendance with suicide attempts. They might look at whether people who are married are less likely to commit suicide.

•  

Conflict theorists might ask

• “Do class pressures such as income correlate with suicide rates?”

• To find out they might compare incomes and suicide attempts. They might look at whether those who are poor are more likely to commit or attempt suicide than those who are wealthy.

•  

Symbolic Interactionists might ask

“Does confusion over roles affect whether one commits suicide?” To find out they might interview people who have attempted suicide to see how they interpreted their situations. They might look at whether people interpret it as a cry for help. They might talk to family members of the victim to find out what the everyday life of the person was like.

Other terms you need to know.

• Validity (accuracy)

– Reliability (consistent) If we calculate a the suicide rate among teens, will the answer always be the same?

• Replicable (similar results)• Verification (prove?)

Question

• In a medical study, lung cancer could be the _____ variable, while smoking could be the ______ variable.

a. dependant, independentb. independent, dependantc. valid, reliabled. reliable, valid

What are some other research methods…..

• Surveys are most widely used with random sampling (everyone in the sample had the same chance of being picked for that study)

• Have you ever been asked to participate in a survey? What did you think of the experience?

Surveys• Questionnaires and Questionnaires and

interviewsinterviews• Strengths: inexpensive, Strengths: inexpensive,

easy to administer, fast easy to administer, fast turn-around rate, ease turn-around rate, ease in acquiring sensitive in acquiring sensitive informationinformation

• Weaknesses: low Weaknesses: low response rate, response rate, possibility of inaccurate possibility of inaccurate informationinformation 3

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Critical Thinking

And Surveys

• Interviews (standardized and open-ended)

• Secondary analysis (already collected)

Field Research

• Observing people in their natural surroundings

• Includes participant observation• Ethnography• Pure observation• Face-to-face interviewing

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The approach where the researcher collects information or data and then generates theories from analysis of the data is called:

a. inductiveb. deductivec. quantitatived. qualitative

ETHICAL ISSUES IN SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Basic Ethical Considerations• Must obtain subjects' consent• Must not harm participants• Must honor all guarantees• Must describe the limitations• Must identify sponsors• Must acknowledge contributions

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• Protecting Subjects:

• Misleading Subjects: The Humphreys Research