sociology - john j macionis

8/10/2019 Sociology - John J macionis

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Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

SociologicalInvestigation

" logical syste# that derives $no%ledge&ro# direct, syste#atic observation




&or#s of 'r th

• (elief or faith• E)pert testi#ony• Si#ple agree#ent• Science

– *ogical syste# that bases $no%ledgeon direct syste#atic observation




Co##on Sense vs!

Scienti+c Evidence• Poor people are far #ore li$ely than rich

people to brea$ the la%!-• 'he .nited States is a #iddle/class society in

%hich #ost people are #ore or less e al!-• Most poor people don t %ant to %or$!-• i3erences in the behavior of fe#ales and

#ales are 4 st 5h #an nat re! -• People change as they gro% old, losing #any

interests as they foc s on their health!-• Most people #arry beca se they are in love!-




Ca sation• Ca se and e3ect

– " relationship in %hich change in one variable ca seschange in another

• 'ypes of variables– Independent 'he variable that ca ses the change– Dependent 'he variable that changes 9its val e

depends pon the independent variable:

• Correlation– " relationship by %hich t%o or #ore variables change

together• Sp rio s correlation

– "n apparent, tho gh false, relationship bet%een t%oor #ore variables ca sed by so#e other variable




Scienti+c Sociology 'er#inology

• Concepts7" #ental constr ct thatrepresents so#e part of the %orld in asi#pli+ed for#

• ;ariables7Concepts %hose val es changefro# case to case• Meas re#ent7" proced re for deter#ining

the val e of a variable in a speci+c case

• <perationali=ing a variable7Specifyinge)actly %hat is to be #eas red beforeassigning a val e to a variable


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sociology-john-j-macionis 7/22Sociology, 12th Edition by John Macionis

Scienti+c Sociology

'er#inology• >eliability7Consistency in

#eas re#ent

– oes an instr #ent provide for a consistent#eas re of the s b4ect #atter?

• ;alidity7Precision in #eas ringe)actly %hat one intends to #eas re– oes an instr #ent act ally #eas re %hat it

sets o t to #eas re?



Correlationoes @ot Mean Ca sation

• Conditions for ca se and e3ect to beconsidered

– E)istence of a correlation– 'he independent 9ca sal: variable precedes

the dependent variable in ti#e!– @o evidence s ggests that a third variable is

responsible for a sp rio s correlationbet%een the t%o original variables!



Scienti+c Sociology

'er#inology• <b4ectivity

– " state of personal ne trality in cond cting

research• ;al e/free research

– Aeber says sociologists sho ld strive to bedispassionate and detached!

• >eplication– >epetition of research by other investigators– Helps li#it distortion ca sed by personal val es



*i#itations

of Scienti+c Sociology• H #an behavior is too co#ple) to

predict precisely any individ al s actions!

• 'he #ere presence of the researcher#ight a3ect the behavior being st died!

• Social patterns change!• Sociologists are part of the %orld they

st dy, #a$ing val e/free researchdiBc lt!



ender and >esearch• "ndrocentricity

– "pproaching the topic fro# a #ale/onlyperspective

• ynocentricity– "pproaching the topic fro# a fe#ale/onlyperspective 9less co##on thanandrocentricity:

• <vergenerali=ing– .sing data collected fro# one se) and

applying the +ndings to both se)es




ender and >esearch

• ender blindness– 'he fail re to consider the e3ect of genderat all

• o ble standards– .sing di3erent standards to 4 dge #ales

and fe#ales

• 6nterference– 'his occ rs %hen a s b4ect reacts to the se)

of the researcher, interfering %ith theresearch operation!




Ethical idelines for >esearch• M st strive to be technically co#petent D fair/

#inded• M st disclose +ndings in f ll %itho t o#itting

signi+cant data D be %illing to share their data

• M st protect the safety, rights, and privacy ofs b4ects

• M st obtain informed consent; s b4ects area%are of of ris$s and responsibilities and agree

• M st disclose all so rces of f nding D avoidcon icts of interest

• M st de#onstrate c lt ral sensitivity




Sociological >esearch Methods " Syste#atic Plan for Cond cting >esearch

• E)peri#ent7" research #ethod for investigatingca se and e3ect nder highly controlledconditions

• Hypothesis7"n nveri+ed state#ent of arelationship bet%een variables 9an ed catedg ess:

• Placebo7" treat#ent that see#s to be the sa#eb t has no e3ect on the e)peri#ent

• Ha%thorne e3ect7" change in a s b4ectFsbehavior ca sed by the a%areness of beingst died




Steps in the 6deal

E)peri#ent• Specify the dependent and independent

variables!

• Meas re the dependent variable!• E)pose dependent variable to

independent variable!

• >e/#eas re dependent variable to see ifpredicted change too$ place!– 6f no change, #odify hypothesis D re/test




Control

• 'o be certain that the change in thedependent variable %as d e to thee)pos re to the independent variable, the

researcher # st $eep constant otherfactors that #ight intr de!• <ne #ethod is to brea$ gro p into

e)peri#ental and control gro ps!– E)peri#ental gro p is e)posed to independent

variable!– Control gro p is e)posed to a placebo!




S rvey >esearch" research #ethod in %hich s b4ects respond to a series

of state#ents or estions in a estionnaire or intervie%

• Pop lation– 'he people %ho are the foc s of the research

• Sa#ple– 'he part of the pop lation that represents

the %hole

• >ando# Sa#ple

– ra%ing a sa#ple fro# a pop lation so thatevery ele#ent of the pop lation has ane al chance of being selected




<ther >esearch Methods• 6ntervie%

– " series of estions that a

researcher ad#inisters in person• Participant observation

– " research #ethod in %hichinvestigators syste#atically observepeople %hile 4oining in their ro tineactivities




6nterplay (et%een 'heory and Method

• 6nd ctive logical tho ght– >easoning that transfor#s speci+c observations

into general theory

• 6nd ction increases- fro# speci+c to general

• ed ctive logical tho ght– >easoning that transfor#s general theory into

speci+c hypotheses s itable for testing

• ed ction decreases- fro# general to speci+c




'en Steps6n Sociological 6nvestigation

1! Select and de+ne topic2! >evie% the literat reI! evelop $ey estions to as$

! "ssess re ire#ents for st dyK! Consider ethical iss esL! Select a research #ethodology! Collect the data8! 6nterpret the +ndingsN! State concl sions10!P blish the +ndings



Sociology 12th Edition by John Macionis

*ying %ith Statistics

– ata selection• ata #ight not be the %hole tr th!

– ata interpretation• "s if n #bers can only #ean one thing

– .se of graphs to spin- the tr th• Manip lating ti#efra#es on graphs• .sing scale to in ate or de ate a trend

sociology - john j macionis

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