Notes:
– anonymity: concealing the identities of participants within the research project
– confidentiality: guarding wo has the right of access to the data provided the participants
– operational definition: clear, concise, and observable measure of the variable
– quantitative research design: data collection that focuses on using systematic, numerical, and other objective measures to generalize across groups of people
– qualitative research: data collection using interviews, fieldwork, observation, photos, text and other
– representative sample: subset of the population whose characteristics accurately reflect those of the larger population
Scientific method:
Define the question or problem
review the literature
devevlop hyphotesis
choose a research design and methods
collect the date analyze the data
develop conclusions
report results
Secondary analysis:
Advantages: existing data is plentiful and study can be conducted quickly
disadvantages: available data may not fit research questions
Surveys:
advantage: cost-effective and convenient
disadvantages: inflexible design and potential low response rate
experiments:
advantage: more control over design and stronger validity and reliability
disadvantages: inability to generalize data
longitudinal studies:
advantages: provides broad and detailed data
disadvantages: expensive and requires a multi-year commitment
– secondary analysis: use of data previously collected for other purposes
– survey: series of questions used to extract specific information from respondents
– experiment: use of two or more groups in which one group is exposed to a factor being examined
– experimental group: the study subjects exposed to the independent variable
– control group: study subjects who are not exposed to the independent variable and are used as a reference group
– longitudinal design: repeated observation of the same subjects over a duration of time
in-depth interviews:
advantages: ability to explore different angles and levels
disadvantage: focuses on individuals and transcribing fieldnotes can be time-consuming
participant observation:
advantages: unrestricted access to observe social behavior
disadvantage: difficult to document details and can be politically unethical
focus groups:
advantage: ease of implementation and quick results
disadvantage: groupthink can occur and moderators cans skew results
content analysis:
advantage: does not involve human subjects and const-effective
disadvantage: researchers must \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\”read between the lines\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\”
– sustainability: the idea that current and future generations should have equal or greater access to social, economic, and environmental resources
– General Social Survey: a national survey on contemporary American society to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes
– time diary method: research method in which subjects track their a actions at various points in time over several days
– Hawthorne effect: the tendency of people to change their behavior when they know they are being watched
– ethics: principles of conduct about how you are supposed to behave in a given situation
– code of ethics: set of guidelines of appropriate behavior established by an organization for its members to follow
-value neutrality (objectivity): the effort to eliminate bias from the research
– sample of convenience: a research sample based on the ease of accessibility of the research subjects
– sociological imagination is about the relationship between the individual and society
– case study: an in-depth analysis of a particular person, place, or event over a significant period
– allow researchers to analyze subjects intensely in a way rarely possible with the standard interview format
advantage of a case study: allows the researchers to gain in-depth insight into how well the emergency shelter worked
disadvantage: the study conclusions may not be reached in enough time to offer immediate assistance to those in need
– Max Weber
– verstehen: an empathetic approach to understanding human behavior
– take the time to understand the individual experiences from their point of view
Anna Julia Cooper: prominent African American author and educator, born into slavery, received Ph.D and wrote A voice from the South: By A Woman from the South
Beatrice Potter Webb: English sociologist, research and taught sociology, coauthored eleven books with her husband, and instrumental in the British welfare system\’s social reform
Sophonisba Breckinridge: born into the Kentucky elite, attended Wellesley college, received law degree, first woman admitted to the Kentucky bar, became a dedicated academic who wrote on family and public welfare issues
Marianne Weber: German feminist movement, authored nine sociology and social analysis books and first woman elected to German parliament, published ten of her husbands works and authored his biography