Studying Society Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
What is the sociological approach?
A
A way of understanding human society that focuses on social structures
2
Q
What is the psychological approach?
A
A way of understanding human behaviour by looking at individual make up
3
Q
What is social control?
A
Ways of ensuring people behave in socially acceptable ways
4
Q
What is culture?
A
Where a group of people share norms beliefs and values
5
Q
What is socialisation?
A
The process of learning norms, values and beliefs
6
Q
What are norms?
A
Ways to act and behave that are seen as normal
7
Q
What are values
A
The things that a culture believes are important
8
Q
What are beliefs?
A
The things that a culture believes in
9
Q
What is stratified sampling?
A
Picking people from different groups within the population
10
Q
What is random sampling?
A
Sample is selected by picking names randomly
11
Q
What is quota sampling?
A
The researcher picks participants until they have the number they need
12
Q
What is systematic sampling?
A
Researcher uses a system to pick participants
13
Q
What is snowball sampling?
A
Researcher selects one person and then asks them to pass on word
14
Q
Strengths of stratifies sampling
A
Sample will be representative of whole population
15
Q
Weaknesses of stratified sampling?
A
Time consuming
16
Q
Strength of random sampling?
A
No bias
Quick and easy
17
Q
Weakness of random sampling
A
Sample might be same type of people
18
Q
Strength of quota sampling
A
Quick and easy
19
Q
Weakness of quota sampling
A
Sample is likely to be biased
20
Q
Strength of systematic sampling
A
Sample will hopefully be representative
21
Q
Weakness of systematic sampling?
A
Only people on register stand a chance of being selected
22
Q
Strength of snowball sampling
A
Useful for hard to contact groups
23
Q
Weakness of snowball sampling
A
Time consuming
24
Q
What does reliable mean?
A
The results are consistent
25
What does ethical mean?
Treating the participants well
26
What is validity?
Measures what it's supposed to
27
What does representative mean?
Participants are an accurate sample of the whole population
28
What is the Hawthorne effect?
The participants act up because they know they are being studied
29
What is primary research?
When researcher collects data themselves
30
Strength of primary research
More likely to be accurate and relevant
31
Weakness of primary research
Time consuming
Expensive
Difficult to collect large amounts of info
32
What is secondary research?
When data has been collected by someone else
33
Strength of secondary research
Easy to collect a lot of data
| Lots of sources available
34
Weakness of secondary research
More likely to be biased
35
Examples of primary research methods
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
Experiments
36
Examples of secondary research
Statistics
Letters
Other research studies
37
Advantages of questionnaires
Quick and easy
38
Disadvantages of questionnaires
People might not send them back
| Misunderstand questions
39
Advantages of statistics
Representative of whole population
40
Disadvantages of statistics
Biased
41
Advantages of media reports
Easy to access data
42
Disadvantages of media reports
Information is biased
43
Advantages of interviews
Reliable
| Valid
44
Disadvantages of interviews
Influence of researcher
45
Advantages of letters
Help us understand past
46
Disadvantages of letters
Biased - based on person
47
Advantages of interviews
Open questions
48
Disadvantage of interviews
Less reliable
49
Functionalist views on the family
Positive for society
Reproduction
Primary socialisation
Economic support
50
New right view on family
Negative for society if not nuclear family. Children from nuclear smilies:
Do better at school
Better jobs
Don't turn to crime
51
Marxist view on family
Negative for society
| Maintains inequality
52
Feminist view on family
Negative for society
| Negative socialisation
53
Ethical issues of studying society
Participant doesn't know being observed -> can't give consent
54
Advantages of official statistics
Readily available and easy to access
| Wide range of data
55
Disadvantages of statistics
Politically biased
| Methods of collecting may have changes
56
How has the relationship between children and parents changed?
```
Children not wanted for work
Less children (valued more)
Childminders
More technology to avoid family time
Divorces are higher -> less contact with a parent
```
57
How has the life expectancy changed?
Much longer
Better medical knowledge
Sanitation
Healthier lifestyles
58
What impact does the life expectancy have on family?
Means people are having less children later in life and are focussing on a career first
59
What is happening to infant mortality?
Much lower
Better knowledge
Sanitation
Better care for babies
60
Advantages of non participant observation
You can observe how they behave
61
Disadvantages of non participant observation
Might not act naturally
| Can't give consent
62
Advantages of participant observation
Valid
| Can see from participants POV
63
Disadvantages of participant observation
Criminal behaviour to blend in
| Can't give consent
64
What is a pilot study?
A small scale version
65
What is a longitudinal study?
Where data is collected about the same groups repeatedly over a long period of time
66
What is a pilot study?
A small scale version
67
What is a longitudinal study?
Where data is collected about the same groups repeatedly over a long period of time
68
definition of sociology
the study of human life groups and societies
69
what is a society?
a group of people who share a culture
70
what are social structures?
groups that make up society such as families and the education system
71
what are social processes
processes such as socialisation
72
what are social issues?
problems that affect people i their daily lives, such as crime
73
example of social issues (3)
fear of crime
inequality
poverty
74
what is culture?
the way of life of a society
75
what are the four things culture includes?
values
norms
beliefs
language
76
what is socialisation
the process by which we learn culture
77
what is social stratification?
the way society if structured
78
what are the 6 steps in carrying out sociological research?
```
develop hypothesis
carry out pilot study
select sample
collect data
analyse data
evaluate study
```
79
what is the population of a study?
the particular group being studied
80
what is a sample?
a subgroup of the population selected for study
81
what is the sampling frame
a list of members in the population
82
what is a representative sample?
a sample that has the same characteristics of the whole population (eg same percent of races)
83
what are generalisations?
general statements that apply to the wider population
84
what is a peer review?
when studies are assessed by fellow sociologists before publishing
85
what is simple random sampling?
where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
86
what is systematic sampling?
when every nth person is picked
87
what is stratified random sampling?
when the population of the survey is representative of th total population
88
what is snowball sampling?
when research is introduced to others via contact
89
what is a cross sectional survey?
whn a group of people are given a questionnaire only once
90
advantage of cross-sectional survey
not as time consuming
| cheap
91
disadvantage of cross-sectional survey
only tells about these people's views at one time
92
what is a longitudinal survey?
a study of a group of people over time
93
advantage of longitudinal survey
allows us to examine change
94
disadvantage of longitudinal survey
time consuming
| expensive
95
what is reliability?
when the results are consistent a second time round
96
what is validity
when results provide an accurate result
97
what is the Interview Effect?
when interviewees give answers thataren't true just to sound more socially acceptable
98
what is an unstructured interview
a guided conversation where the interviewer has a list of prompts
99
advantages of unstructured interviews (3)
interviewer can clear misunderstandings
can ask more questions
more valid
100
disadvantages of unstructured interviews (3)
more time consuming
interviewer effect
interview effect
101
disadvantage of using closed questions
none of the options may apply to the respondent
102
advantage of closed questions
easier to analyse
| easier and quicker for recipient
103
why are pilot studies used
test effectiveness
| can spot any errors
104
advantages of group interviews (2)
interviewer can gather a wide range of views
| interviewees feel more comfortable
105
disadvantage of group interviews (3)
some people will dominate discussion
may feel intimidated
won't be honest
106
hat happens in a participant observation interview
the interviewer joins a group in order to study it
107
what is covert participant observation?
when a person interacts within a group but they don't know they are collecting research
108
advantages of covert PO (2)
removes interviewer effect
| often difficult to reach certain groups
109
disadvantages of covert PO (3)
can be hard to get into a group
may become involved in illegal activity
danger of detection
110
what is overt PO?
when the researcher is open about their reason for joining the group
111
advantages of overt PO (2)
avoids ethical issues
| group observed in 'natural setting'
112
disadvantages of overt PO (2)
interviewer effect
| less likely to see honest response
113
what is quantitative secondary data?
numerical information such as statistics that measures something
114
what is qualitative secondary data?
presented in visual form, for instance as articles
115
what are ethical issues?
they are questions raised about how to conduct research that protects the rights of the participants
116
Example of an ethical issue
talking about sensitive topics like divorced
117
what is social construction
the idea that characteristics of people aren't biological, they are created by society
