SOCA02H3 Lecture : How Sociologists Conduct Research
Document Summary
Sociology knowledge comes from research; have to use scientific method. Ultimate questions: beyond the capability of science to answer, don"t lend themselves to empirical knowledge (attaining knowledge through facts) Stephen hawkins: states the universe was created from nothing. Past experience filter the way you see the world (e. g. education, class, culture); culture is selective perception lets you select some things and filter other things. Experience helps us determine how we perceive reality and what we see and whether we can see it or not (e. g. inuit can see different types of snow) Can never get rid of bias (values, theories, methods, previous research) => they all shape reality. Our biases allow us to draw incorrect conclusions. Two types of sociological studies are descriptive and explanatory: descriptive static studies: describes, tells you what exists, can be trend studies. 1 www. notesolution. com: explanatory: tells you the cause, why it happened, relating social characteristics to your behaviour.
