SOC222H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Scientific Theory, Dependent And Independent Variables
Document Summary
Sociology scientific in the sense that social scientists attempt to verify their ideas/theories through research. Importance of stats shown by reviewing research process as it operates in social sciences. Purpose of stats- manipulate and analyze data. Statistics: set of mathematical techniques used by social scientists to organize and manipulate data for the purpose of answering questions and testing theories. Mere presence of numbers guarantees nothing about quality of scientific inquiry. Researcher must be able to use statistics effectively to organize, evaluate and analyze data. Illustrates how theory stimulates research and how research shapes theory. Scientific theory subject to rigorous testing process. Health inequality: materialistic theory (douglas black)- health affected by social class; health linked to person"s social class and access to items. Variable: any trait that can change values from case to case (i. e. gender, age, ethnicity) Hypothesis: statement about the relationship between variables that, while logically derived from the theory, is much most specific and exact.
