Sociology 1020 Lecture 5: SOC 5
16 Sep 2018
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Document Summary
Although there are a number of methods and perspectives employed to study people, several important concepts are used in almost all research projects including thinks like: theories, hypotheses, variables. Social theories refer to organize sets of propositions about how various elements of social life are related to one another. Theories have three components: general statements about social relationships, statements about the causes of those relationships, general predictions, based on these reasons, about how people will react to certain events or experiences or conditions. Research projects generally do not test theories but hypotheses, specific statements about how variables will relate to one another in a research study. 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. Sceintific knowledge is bsed on empirical evidence, information that is directly verifiable.
