Methods

The Tools of Science

Coming Up

This week:MethodsSlave Families in the Mountain South

Next week:Inequality in Health CareBegin Our Look at Education

Methods

Methods allow scientists to distinguish evidence from opinion.

Sociology covers issues that many people think they know about, so methods are important to add scientific understanding to popular subjects.

The Scientific Method

Theory

Hypotheses

Testing

Analysis of Results

Theory

Overarching view of the subject of study.

Theory of gravity

Every particle in the universe is attracted to each other in proportion to their mass and inversely proportional to their distance from each other.

Hypotheses

Hypotheses are testable statements based on your theory.

Theory of gravity:

Hypothesis: An object dropped will fall to the ground.

Hypothesis: A comet coming too close to the earth will be captured by its gravity and fall to the earth.

More Examples

Theory: Alienation under CapitalismHypothesis: Workers with little creative

control over their work will be dissatisfied with their jobs.

Theory: Filters of Propaganda in MediaHypothesis: Victims that support US

interests will by “worthy” victims.

Filters of Propaganda

“Content analysis”

Four different media sources.

Analyzed articles for 18 months after event.

“Bias” by Bernard Goldberg

Bias: a CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News

Based on anecdotes (stories), not actual scientific analysis.

Generalizing in Sociology

Proper techniques can tell you all lot about large numbers of people, just by surveying a properly studied smaller group.

Opinion polls and election exit polls are based on this principle.

Limits to Generalizing

Bernard Goldberg tries to say the media is biased, but he is only looking at anecdotes from CBS news.

At best, he may be able to tell us a little about how CBS news operates, but he still has problems because of how he collected his information.

Survey Evidence of “Bias”

Journalists’ Political Self-Identification61% liberal or moderate to liberal9% conservative or moderate to

conservativeJournalists’ Social Views

81% support affirmative action82% pro-choice25% support prayer in public schools

What Is Left Out Range of Debate in the Mainstream Media

Revolutionary Radical Liberal Conservative Reactionary

Demand-SideEconomics

NeoliberalEconomics

The Political Spectrum in the USLeft Right

What about the stories?

Journalists may be socially liberal, but Goldberg does not address the stories!

“Journalists tend to be more pro-business and conservative than the bulk of the population on the economy, militarism, and regulation of business in the public interest.” (Robert McChesney, The Problem of the

Media)

Science or Opinion?

“I didn’t want this to be written from a social scientist point of view. I have total confidence that the point here is accurate.” Bernard Goldberg at 2002 bookstore

appearance.

Liberal Bias?

What Goldberg tells us:Journalists vote democratic.Journalists support social liberal causes like

Affirmative Action and gay rights.He’s heard a few stories about how editors and

others control news content.What Goldberg leaves out:

Journalists support conservative economic issues.

So, what can we conclude from Goldberg?Nothing scientific really!

Types of Methods

Unobtrusive and ObtrusiveQualitative and Quantitative

Unobtrusive and Obtrusive

Unobtrusive methods:study already existing data.do not study people directly, but study

various existing pieces of evidence.Obtrusive Methods:

involves interacting with the subjects of your study.

Interviewsobserving them in the process of their activityresearchers may participate in the activity

Qualitative and Quantitative

Qualitative research attempts to more deeply understand the object of the study.focuses on the meaning the subjects place on

the issueless able to “generalize” our findings

Quantitative research tends to use numbers to get a bigger picture.the researcher can make generalizations

about large groups

Diaspora, Death and Sexual Exploitation

Slave Families at Risk in the Mountain SouthWilma Dunaway

Engaging the Debates about US Slavery

Previous research

Slave families were generally stable with two parents.

Economically “rational” to keep slave families intact.

Why Should We Study Slavery in the Mountain

South? There is very little existing research on

the Upper South.Previous research focused on large

plantations of 50 slaves or more.

Dunaway’s ResearchBased on Qualitative and Quantitative data

Census data and tax listsJournals from slaves and Civil War veteransOther manuscripts

Forced Labor Migration Strategies

Economy of Upper South shrank, while economy of Lower South grew.

Forced Labor Migration Strategies of Upper SouthSelling surplus slavesShifting laborers to needed sitesHiring out slaves to others

Disruption of Slave Families

¾ of slave narratives report disruptions in families.

¾ of family disruptions were permanent.

¼ of family disruptions were temporary.

Threats to Survival

Poor sanitation

Poor housing and clothing

Dangerous work

Malnutrition and Hunger

Sexual Exploitation

Manipulation and control of marriage

Early childbearing

Sexual abuse

Exploitative child nursing practices

What Does Dunaway Tell Us?

Dunaway’s research is significantly different than previous researchers.More family separationPoorer conditionsMore sexual exploitation

Dunaway vs. Goldberg

GoldbergAvoided social science methodsTells us absolutely NOTHING regarding bias

in the media.Dunaway

Combines methods to develop a picture of life for slave families in the Mountain South

Provides a different, possibly more accurate, picture of slave families because of the use of social science methods.