SOCI 1101 Study Guide - Final Guide: Scientific Method, Macrosociology, Microsociology
Document Summary
Sociology is the scientific study of human society and social behavior. Sociology overlaps with other social sciences, such as psychology, economics, and history. Sociological theories explain the social world and make predictions about the future. There are many theories of sociology: structural functionalism, conflict theory, weberian theory, symbolic interactionalism, postmodern theory, and midrange theory. Sociologists can look at individual/ small group interactions to understand how they affect society (microsociology). Or they can look at individual/small-group interactions to understand how they affect individuals (macrosociology). The scientific method is a procedure that emphasizes collecting concrete data through observation and experimentation. The steps of the scientific method are to find a problem, conduct a literature review, form a hypothesis, choose a research method, collect data, analyze data, and disseminate findings. In a literature review a researcher becomes thorough with all other research of the same topic.
