SOC221H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Nomothetic, Cultural Capital, Research
Document Summary
Topic: relationship between theory and data; research design. Be able to define theory and types of explanations it contains. Understand goals and roles of different types of explanation in empirical research. Gain some idea of characteristics that make them useful in research. Questions to guide the reading/to think about ahead of time for students. Focus of this class is on the relationship between theory and empirical research. Theory takes a science beyond mere description and provides explanations of social phenomena. It may provide impetus for research, be developed, modified or rejected during it. It also guides research at its various stages. Ex: this happens because of different access: low income and wealth limits choice. Hypothesis-deductive (natural science) model of research process: (textbook: theory, hypothesis, collect data, come up with findings (from data, hypothesis confirmed or rejected, revision of theory (if needed)
