SOCI 1F90 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Participant Observation, Paris Hilton, Ethnography
13 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Theories : explanations developed from careful observations of the social world - we call these observations empirical data. Research : systematic processes by which we gather empirical data. Systematic process of social research: gather empirical date, describe, explain (develop theory) Two research paradigms - quantitative and qualitative. Philosophy of quantitative research borrowed from physical sciences. 4 tenets (principles): a single objective truth can be discovered, right and wrong answers, numbers don"t lie, research can be objective, unbiased. Process of deduction : 3 stages: develop a theory from other research, develop hypothesis (logical extensions of the theory), sample, design, collect data and conduct statistical analysis, sociology lecture. Thursday oct. 27, 2016: hypothesis con rmed : theory is plausible, not : revise theory and test again e. g. - phyllis moen"s theory. Critique of quantitative research: says to little about too much of social life, doesn"t reveal meaning, can"t explain complicated processes in the context of everyday life, lacks sophistication and depth.
