Chapter 2 Slides

Question 1

What does the Sociological toolkit allow for?

Answer 1

The exercise of the Sociological imagination

Question 2

What are the 3 components of the Sociological Toolkit?

Answer 2

Critical Thinking
Sociological Theorizing
Empirical Research Methods

Question 3

What are Empirical Research methods about?

Answer 3

Observation to enable the creation of knowledge

Question 4

Why do we use research methods in Sociology?

Answer 4

To provide a systematic design for learning about real life issues that are too complex to be left to other ways of knowing and assumption

Question 5

What is Commonsense knowledge based on?

Answer 5

Personal experiences

Question 6

Why is Commonsense knowledge Partial?

Answer 6

Because of the biases inherent in social cognition and social perception that influential our own judgement

Question 7

What are Empirical Methods used to produce?

Answer 7

Verifiable findings - findings that can be verified

Question 8

Why is Sociology referred to as a Social Science?

Answer 8

Because it is producing scientific knowledge through empirical methods to enhance our knowledge of people and society

Question 9

What is another name for Sociological Reasoning?

Answer 9

Thinking Sociologically

Question 10

What does Sociological Reasoning combine?

Answer 10

Theory and Empirical methods

Question 11

What is a Theory?

Answer 11

A set of principles of propositions intended to explain a fact or phenomenon

Question 12

How are Theory and Research related?

Answer 12

They inform each other

Question 13

How do Theories inform Research?

Answer 13

Theories can be tested and verified using scientific methods and can be developed out of research as an explanation for new findings

Question 14

What is a building block of Theory?

Answer 14

Concept

Question 15

What is Abstract?

Answer 15

A word or phrase to categorize a particular feature of the social world

Question 16

What is Deduction?

Answer 16

The process of drawing a conclusion by accepting the truth of one or more premises or ideas

Question 17

What is Deduction based on?

Answer 17

Theory because it typically concludes with generalizations based on research findings

Question 18

What is another name for Top down?

Answer 18

Deduction

Question 19

What is an example of Top down?s

Answer 19

Being presented with things in the world and applying theories to them to interpret what they mean

Question 20

What is Induction?

Answer 20

The process of drawing a conclusion based on the observation of individual facts. It is data driven that begins with observation and ends in theory construction

Question 21

What are the 5 main purposes of Sociology?

Answer 21

To explore, describe, explain, evaluate and empire a disadvantaged social group

Question 22

What does Exploratory research do?

Answer 22

Delves unit a social phenomenon about which little is yet known

Question 23

What does Descriptive research do?

Answer 23

Notes features and characteristics about a given social phenomenon

Question 24

What does Explanatory research do?

Answer 24

Clarifies aspects of a social phenomenon to help us better understand what kind of effects it does or doesn’t have

Question 25

What does Evaluation research do?

Answer 25

Analyzes the need or effectiveness of a social program

Question 26

What does Empowerment research seek to do?

Answer 26

Improve conditions of a social setting or group

Question 27

What are the two types of Empowerment Research?

Answer 27

Action Research and Participatory action Research

Question 28

What is the aim of Action Research?

Answer 28

Aimed at bringing about social change

Question 29

What is the first step to coming up with a Research project?

Answer 29

Come up with a question

Question 30

What is the second step to research?

Answer 30

Reviewing the literature to understand the existing knowledge on that topic

Question 31

What does it mean to Operationalize Variables?

Answer 31

Define your variables in a precise manner that is measurable ex. If doing a study on income, you can operationalize it by defining it as year,y dollars earned after taxes

Question 32

What is Reliability of variables?

Answer 32

Be sure that there is consistency of the measure for variable of interest

Question 33

What does Validity of a variable mean?

Answer 33

Asking if a measure is a good indicator of concept

Question 34

What is a Hypothesis?

Answer 34

A testable research statement that includes at least two variables

Question 35

What does the Data analysis stage ask?

Answer 35

What will you do with the data to come up with meaningful results or findings? Like compiling or organizing the data in certain ways

Question 36

What did the Nuremberg code address?

Answer 36

Basic standards of human research

Question 37

What are the principles of the tri-council agreement?

Answer 37

Respect for persons Concern for welfare Prioritization if justice

Question 38

What are the two primary arms of social science research?

Answer 38

Qualitative and Quantitative research

Question 39

What is Qualitative data aimed at?

Answer 39

Better understanding the nature of some phenomenon

Question 40

What is Quantitative data aimed at?

Answer 40

Testing hypothesis based in numerical data

Question 41

How do Experiments begin?

Answer 41

With a theory that is tested in a laboratory environment to determine how something affects something else

Question 42

Why are experiments advantageous?

Answer 42

They can test causality

Question 43

What can field experiments allow for?

Answer 43

More real circumstances but they can compromise the ability to claim causation

Question 44

What is a representative sample?

Answer 44

A survey that represents the population of interest in various demographic factors

Question 45

How are surveys flawed?

Answer 45

Respondents can lie or misunderstand questions

Question 46

What are interviews often used for?

Answer 46

Descriptive, exploratory, and explanatory purposes

Question 47

What are Standardized interviews?

Answer 47

Highly structured interviews that follow a set format of predetermined question with no additional questions or clarification allowed

Question 48

What are unstandardized interviews?

Answer 48

Interviews that have no set format and start with something like a single prompt and then conversation

Question 49

What is different about interviews?

Answer 49

They can elicit rich and nuanced data and build rapport but they require a good interviewer

Question 50

What is secondary data analysis?

Answer 50

Using someone else’s data to analyze it for different purposes

Question 51

What are the 3 ways of Secondary Data analysis?

Answer 51

Content analysis Discourse analysis Historical analysis

Question 52

What is content analysis?

Answer 52

A technique used to systematically examine messages contain in text or portrayed in images

Question 53

What is Discourse analysis?

Answer 53

Using multiple methods to critically examine the ways in which language is used to convey social constructions and discourse relations

Question 54

What is Historical Analysis?

Answer 54

The examination and interpretation of historical forms of data

Question 55

What are the upsides and downsides to secondary data analysis?

Answer 55

You don’t have to spend time or money collecting data however the data may not provide complete answers to the questions that you are asking

Question 56

What is Ethnography?

Answer 56

Generally involves different kinds of field work to understand how some group operates naturally, not in a lab. It may include going to live and spend time with gangs

Question 57

What does observation rely on?

Answer 57

The researchers ability to recognize their own subjectivity and how it operated in this space

Question 58

What are the two types of Observation?

Answer 58

Systemic and Participant

Question 59

What is a Single Case design?

Answer 59

Investigating some case if the thing you’re interested in in great detail

Question 60

What is a convergent design?

Answer 60

Both qualitative and quantitative, using mixed methods of research