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Week 03 Sept 19 - How Sociologists Do Research

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9 views

Week 03 Sept 19 - How Sociologists Do Research

Uploaded by

macbunny3333
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as KEY, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How do

Sociologists
do Research
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Kings University College is on the
traditional territories of the Anishinaabeg,
Haudenausaune, Lenaapeewak, and Attawandaron
peoples. In our class, we are working towards
reconciliation by learning about the history,
experiences, and cultures of Indigenous peoples.
Reminder!
First tutorial next
week – Group A

Let’s look at
expectations around
tutorials
Class Agenda

Discuss why we do research


Outline two main research approaches
Discuss key research methods
Where does
Consider knowledge come
from?
the
following Why do we do
research?
Where does knowledge come from?
What are some sources of knowledge?
Authority
Tradition
Common Sense
Media Myths
Personal Experiences
Science
Social science: the study of people and their beliefs,
behaviour, interaction, institutions, and so forth
Why does this matter?
The consequences of unscientific thinking
Social media information:
Bleach, garlic soup, silver, cocaine, cow urine to treat COVID-19
Conspiracy theories
Climate-change deniers
Raise your
hand if…
1. Conducted research
(survey, interviews)
2. Participated in
research online
3. Participated in
research in person
(survey or interview
in person)

Trick question…?
Why do we do research?
Learn something new

Social research: is a process in which people combine


a set of principles, outlooks, and ideas (i.e., methodology)
with a collection of specific practices, techniques, and
strategies (i.e., a method of inquiry) to produce knowledge
Why do we do research?

Exploration
Description
Explanation
1. Topic Selection
E.g. Sport Injuries
2. Research Questions
E.g. What are professional athlete’s experiences

The 3.
with sport injuries?
Study Design
E.g. interviews with professional athletes

Resear
informed by social constructionism; thematic
analysis
4. Collect Data
E.g. conduct interviews with professional athletes

ch 5. Analyze Data
E.g. transcribe interviews; analyze by looking for
common themes or common experiences

Process
6. Interpret Data
What does it mean? Why does your research
matter? What does it tell us about our society,
sport etc?
7. Communicate Findings
Publish research, attend conferences, implement
policy changes
Research Approaches

Positivist Interpretivist
Tradition
Social realities Tradition
Social realities
are objective. are subjectively
Surveys and VS constructed.
statistics.
. Use of words,
not numbers.
Research Approaches

Quantitative Research
Statistical analytic techniques
Analyzing large data sets
Make generalized statements

Qualitative Research
Smaller groups
Transferable knowledge
Quantitative Research
Goal – scientific objectivity
Study a sample of the population in order to make
generalizations about the population
Use statistics/numbers
Quantitative Research
Experimental Research
Researchers create situations and examine their effects on
participants
Split into groups, one group is given a different condition
Survey Research
A written questionnaire (mailed or handed to people) or an
interview and then recording answers
Content Analysis
Examining information in written (books, newspapers) or symbolic
material (pictures, movies, song lyrics)
Count how often certain words or themes appear
Existing Statistics (aka Secondary Data)
Researcher locates previously collected information and
reorganizes it to answer new questions
Quantitative Research
Sample: The part of the population of
research interest that is selected for analysis –
trying to generalize

Population: The entire group about


which the researcher wants to generalize.
Quantitative Research
Variable: A measure of a concept that
has more than one value or score
Independent variable: The presumed
cause in a cause-and-effect relationship.

Dependent variable: The presumed


effect in a cause-and effect relationship.
Quantitative Research
Is X related to Y?
What is the effect of X on Y?
Example: What is the impact of level of
education on mental health?
Ice Cream and Polio: A Spurious Relationship
Quantitative Research
Spurious reasoning
Outside factor influencing both correlating
variables
Ice cream sales and polio is a spurious
relationship
Qualitative Research
Subjective understanding

How people interpret social experience

Words, text
No numbers!
Qualitative Research
Smaller studies

Focus: answering why and how

Transferability over generalizing


Qualitative Research
Interviews
One-on-one interview between the researcher and participant
Focus Groups
Group interview with researcher and participants
Field Research
Observing people in a natural setting
Historical Research
Examines social life in a past historical era
Content Analysis
Analyzing meaning in content (movies, books, newspapers, music, ads)
Participant Observation
Researchers take part in the social group being studied
Qualitative Research
What is the impact of…
How do…
What are the experiences of…
What is it like to…
How do people…
What are the experiences of queer athletes in rock climbing?
How do Canadian news media discuss gender-based violence?
What are the experiences of first year university students living in
residents?
Research Ethics
3 core principles for ethical research:
1. Respect for Persons
2. Concern for welfare
3. Justice
Research Ethics
Ethical Considerations

}
1.

1. Voluntary participation
2. Harm minimization Informed
Right to not be harmed Consent
3. Right to privacy
Identities must be protected
4. Authenticity
Research should not use deception
5.
Decolonizing Research
Methods
Recognizes that colonialism impacts research methods
Decolonizing means challenging Eurocentric (dominant)
research methods
Includes
Power with
Participants equal in research
Participants as knowledge holders
Building trust
Valuing knowledge outside of academia
Being culturally sensitive
The Stanford Prison Experiment
(29 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LKzEqlPto
What does this
Consider experiment tell
the us about
ethics?
following Is research
always ‘good’?
See you next week!

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