SOC101 Chapter Notes -Simple Random Sample, Historical Sociology, Informed Consent
6 Oct 2013
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Document Summary
Focus on methods used to collect the data that have informed these theories and produced the many findings you will reach about throughout this text. Sociology as a science --- research is often designed to measure and quantify social life (quantitative sociology) Sociology as arts/humanities --- research is often designed to get at the rich meanings that people attribute to their lives (qualitative sociology) -- follow proper procedures to discover the truth about the world. Personal opinions, biases, and cultural understandings are at the very heart of most sciences. Total objectivity is not possible --- cannot separate oneself completely from prior knowledge of the world when making observations. Possibility of science: impossible --- objectivity is impossible, so is impossible (without the claim to objective knowledge, science ceases to be useful) Viewpoint is associated with relativism --- belief that there is no ultimate truth: possible --- possible for disciplines to be scientific.
