SOC101Y1 : NS + SLDI Readings
Document Summary
Objectivity: observations should be free of distorting effects of person"s values + expectations. Problem of induction: no matter how many observations you make, you cannot infer next observation. Meaningful action: activities meaningful to ppl involved eg. humans react self- consciously when aware of being observed. Mere association or correlation between one thing and another does not prove causation* In a causal relationship, a change or variation in one thing produces a change/variation in another. If 4 basic conditions are met, causality may be established: 2 variables must be associated or correlated. Eg. likelihood of premature births + poverty: the cause (independent variable) must precede the effect (dependent variable) Eg. poverty must precede premature births: original association must not disappear once the effects of other variables on dependent variable are examined no false inference. What if the causal agent was stress instead of poverty: theoretical account of how one variable causes another. Must illustrate the social mechanisms through which causation operates.
