Chapter 2 - How Sociologists Do Research Flashcards
(7 cards)
Levels of experience
- concrete experience: obtained by seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, and hearing
- abstract experience: the imaginary world of the mind
- concepts: abstract terms used to organize concrete experiences
- prepositions: ideas taht result from finding relationships between concepts
Bias
the tendency to favour one person, thing, or idea over another
Ways of knowing
- casual observation - ordinary human inquiry performed in day to day lives
- tradition - looking into traditional knowledge to see how it teaches use
- authority - think its true because expert said so
*all of these we must be careful because it might not be true since they did not do proper science to learn it or the science has been rebuked
common errors in inquiry
overgeneralization - treat an exception as the rule
- selective observation - ignore evidence that challenges beliefs
- illogical reasoning - not thinking carefully about the plausibility of the knowledge
*these errors can lead to erroneous common knowledge that might hurt someone or spread biases
Quantitative vs Qualitative research
quantitative = number of single knowledge (ex. filling out a specific questionnaire)
- fast, easily compliable and comparable data - but ignores nuance
qualitative = get tailored results and finding commonality between responses
- very nuances but long and tedious
Ethical considerations
- voluntary participation - subjects chose to take part (cannot in any way be forced to do it or forced to continue to do it)
- informed consent - participants know the risks of participation
- anonymity - researcher cannot identify subjects based on evidence
- confidentiality - research can identify research subjects by examining evidence but agrees not to do so (ex. researchers get identifying information but keep it secret - ie a phone number, or something)
- authenticity/debriefing - interviewing participants at the end to inform them of what actually took place and deal with any potential fall out