SOC 1101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Scientific Theory, Dependent And Independent Variables, Rideau Centre
16 May 2018
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Tuesday, May 8th, 2018
Sociological Research
Basic Concepts and Issues
• Although there are a number of methods and perspectives employed to study people, several
important concepts are used in almost all research projects including things like:
o Theories
o Hypotheses - testable questions
o Variables
• Social theories refer to organized sets of propositions about how various elements of social life are
related to one another
• Theories have three components:
o General statements about social relationships;
o Statements about the causes of those relationships;
o General predictions, based on these reasons, about how people will react to certain events
or experiences or conditions.
• Certain research needs certain researching tools
• Hypotheses
o Research projects generally don't test theories but hypotheses, specific statements about
how variables will relate to one another in a research study;
o Positive findings regarding a hypothesis simply provides support for a theory; it does not
prove a theory to be correct.
• Sociological knowledge is based on science, a logical organized method of obtaining information
through direct, systematic observation. Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence,
information that's directly verifiable.
• A research method is a strategy for systematically conducting research.
• Concepts, variables, and measurement:
o Concepts are mental constructs that represent some part of the world, inevitably in a
simplified form
o Variables are concepts whose value changes from case to case;
o Operationalizing a variable is the process of developing the measure to be used in gauging a
variable.
The structure of Scientific theory
Measurement and relationships
• Measurement requires reliability-the quality of consistent measurement and validity-the quality of
measure precisely what one intends to measure
• Relationships among variables:
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Tuesday, May 8th, 2018
o Cause and effect is a relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another;
• A must proceed B;
• Must be a correlation - there must be a noticeable change;
• There's no intervening variables;
o Correlation exists when two (or more) variables are related in some way.
Relationship between variables
• Cause -> Effect
o The burner will cause water to boil
• Independent variable -> Dependent Variables
Sampling
• Social scientists rely on small groups of people, a sample to reflect the thoughts, feelings, and
behaviour of a larger group of humans, the population
• Samples can be more or less representative of a larger population
• Probability samples (e.g., random samples) are designed to represent the larger population
• Non-probability samples include convenience and snowball samples.
o It's strictly on the basis to study something but it doesn't really exist where you're at.
Limitations of Scientific Research
• Human behaviour is too complex to allow sociology to predict any individual's actions precisely.
• Because humans respond to their surroundings, the mere presence of a researcher may affect the
behaviour being studied;
• Social patterns change constantly; what's true in one time or place may not hold in another;
o For example: gay marriage or being a homosexual in some countries will get you killed.
• Because sociologists are part of the social world they study, objectivity in social research is
especially difficult.
o For example: the individual who was assaulted as a teenager and then goes out to conduct
research about violence - that'll affect how they see the world.
o Historians tend to write out all their biases, whereas social researchers do not.
• Subjective interpretation is always an important element in sociological analysis.
o For example: the woman who holds a leash attached to the man that is seen around Rideau
centre trying to catch a bus.
o What you think you see isn't always what you see
Type of Research
• Qualitative research
o The non-numerical examination and interpretation of observations for the purpose of
discovering underlying meaning and patterns of relationship (Babbie, 1999).
• Quantitative research
o The numerical representation and manipulation of observations for the purpose of
describing and explaining the phenomena that those observations represent (Babbie, 1999).
Survey Research
• Uses interviews and questionnaires
• It's cross-sectional
o Compares different groups at one point in time.
• Measures attitudes, opinions, beliefs, values and behaviours.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Sociological research: although there are a number of methods and perspectives employed to study people, several important concepts are used in almost all research projects including things like, theories, hypotheses - testable questions, variables. Sociological knowledge is based on science, a logical organized method of obtaining information through direct, systematic observation. Measurement and relationships: measurement requires reliability-the quality of consistent measurement and validity-the quality of measure precisely what one intends to measure, relationships among variables: Relationship between variables: cause -> effect, the burner will cause water to boil. Social scientists rely on small groups of people, a sample to reflect the thoughts, feelings, and behaviour of a larger group of humans, the population. Samples can be more or less representative of a larger population: probability samples (e. g. , random samples) are designed to represent the larger population, non-probability samples include convenience and snowball samples. It"s strictly on the basis to study something but it doesn"t really exist where you"re at.
