soc 1 ppt 1 - classical and contemporary theory

8/19/2019 Soc 1 PPT 1 - Classical and Contemporary Theory

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Remember: sociology is a science

We use the scientific method

What does that include?


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Durkheim’s “The Rules of Sociological

Method” established a set of parameters

for research on society

› 1. It must have a specific object of study.

In other words: it’s intentional, not accidental

› 2. It must use a scientific method, avoiding

subjectivism and prejudice.In other words: it’s data-driven, not intuitive

• Avoid biases and fallacies

• Ensure that our findings are valid, believable

• Demonstrate that we’ve used appropriate data, thatit’s been collected and analyzed appropriately, andthat our interpretations make sense


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Data

• Qualitative, quantitative, or mixed

Analysis

• Statistical or content-oriented; alwaysabout search for patterns

Interpretation

• What have we learned about how lifechances vary for different groups indifferent circumstances?

T H E O R Y

•What patterns exist in the ways that peopleact and think?

•How common are these patterns?

•How do these patterns [STRUCTURES] affectthe life chances of different groups?


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1. Be describable

2. Be organized

3. Be documented

4. Be purposeful

5. Be understandable

6. Be focused on society

7. Be connected to theory (for sociology)

8. Be ethical


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Question

Methods

Levels ofAnalysis

Data

AnalysisApproach

Interpretationof Findings

THEORY

• What pattern do we observe in ways that peopleact and think?

• How common is this pattern?

• How does a specific SOCIAL or CULTURALSTRUCTURES affect the life chances of differentgroups?


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Question

Methods

Levels ofAnalysis

Data

AnalysisApproach


THEORY

Quantitative

Methods

Ideal for dynamics we want tocount or enumerate

Broad but specific understanding

Lots of cases, few variables

Emphasizes causality

Qualitative

Methods

Ideal for dynamics we want todescribe

Deep understanding

Small # of cases, many variables

Emphasizes changes, processes,meaning-making


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Ethnography;Interviews;Part. Obsv.;

CBPR

Surveys;Experiments

Historical-Comp;

DiscourseAnalysis

Secondarydata analysis

(census,World ValuesSurvey, etc)

I m

p e r s o n a l / I n t e r p e r s o n a l

Qualitative / Quantitative

What’s a question or research topic that

would be well-served by developing aquantitative approach? Why?

What’s a question or research topic that

would be well-served by developing aqualitative approach? Why?


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It’s been suggested that it’s harder to

remain neutral when using qualitative

methods (relative to using quantitativemethods).

› Why would this be the case?

› Do you agree or disagree?

THEORY

HYPOTHESIS

DATA

FINDINGS

Top-down, theory

driven

Starts from

hypothesis about the

relationship between

variables

Data collected and

analyzed to test

whether the

hypothesis is true


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Starts from a

collection of data

points or facts

Explanation for the

relationship between

them is built

Data and findings

suggest theoretical

claims

DATA

EXPLANATION

THEORETICALCONNECTION

FINDINGS

What would adeductiveapproach be toinquiring into theexperience ofpeople with

biracialbackgrounds whoare detained bythe police?

What would aninductiveapproach be toinquiring into theexperience ofpeople with

biracialbackgrounds whoare detained bythe police?


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Question

Methods

Levels ofAnalysis

Data

AnalysisApproach


THEORY

MACRO

meso

micro


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MACRO: broad

social dynamics like

class, gender, race,

democracy

Meso: often

institutions, like

schools, churches, or

neighborhoods

Micro: individual,inter-personal

MACRO

meso

micro

Imagine you areconsidering a researchproject on high schoolgraduation rates in SanDiego County.

Identify two or threesocial or culturalstructures that could beincluded at each level

of analysis.

They can beindependent ordependent variables.

MACRO

meso

micro


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Question

Methods

Levels ofAnalysis

Data

AnalysisApproach


THEORY

Universe

Popu-lation

Sample

• The entire set of individualsin the broadest categoryyou’re working with

Universe

• Everyone who fits all of thecriteria

Population

• The individuals who areactually included in thestudy

Sample


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DEPENDENT

independent

independent

independent

What relationship do youpredict between your

independent & dependentvariables?

Check the causal directionof your hypotheses!

What is the magnitude ofthe relationship, what

interactions might there be

between IV’s, are theyfrom appropriate levels of

analysis, etc…

Question

Methods

Levels ofAnalysis

Data

AnalysisApproach


THEORY


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Quantitative(statistical)

•DescriptiveStatistics

•InferentialStatistics

Qualitative(coding text)

•Descriptive

•Explanatory

•Interpretive

What do we now know about theoryand/or the life chances of particulargroups that we didn’t know before?

› What’s new?

› What’s important?

Where should this research be repeatedand why?

What are its limitations?


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• Origin stories of broad socialphenomena; Verstehn, Historical-Comparative, Ideal types

Weber,Simmel

• start talking to people beingstudied/described

ChicagoSchool

• start living with people beingstudied/described, originally highlyinterpretive

Ethno-graphy

• incorporate study of material objects,inner lives; “look but don’t touch;”concepts from Freud, psychology

FrankfurtSchool


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• Increased emphasis on reflexivity

• Increased interest in interactions, intersectionality

• Increased acceptance of grounded theory,inductive models of research

• Decreased acceptance of interpretive approaches – who are we to say what the “truth” is?

The field’s move towards reflexivity, and

honoring subjectivity of experiencesaligns with an ever increasing desire to

be minimally intrusive.


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Paradigm-changing studies

› Tuskegee syphilis study (1930’s – 1970’s)

› Nuremberg war crime trials (1940’s)

› Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments atYale (ca. 1960), Philip Zimbardo and the StanfordPrison Experiments (ca. 1970)

Incorporation of human rights, humansubjects protections into research protocols

National Commission for the Protectionof Human Subjects of Biomedical and

Behavioral Research

Belmont Report (1979)

Respect forPersons

Bene-ficence

Justice

HEW report

on TuskegeeSyphilis Study

(1973)


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To protect research subjects

To maintain honesty andopenness

To achieve valid results

To encourage appropriateapplication

•Avoid harming research participants

•Obtain informed consent

•Avoid deception in research (except in

limited circumstances)

•Maintain privacy and confidentiality


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Obligations vis a visscientific community:

Keep peers inthe loop

about studies

Be willing todisclose

details about

methods

Publishfindings

Research is justified

Appropriate methods used

Findings reported appropriately


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What use are the findingsgoing to be put to?

Internal Review Boards (IRB)

IRB approval process

Signed consent vs. verbal consent

Professional organizations’ protections

Opportunities to file complaints


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S o c i a l S c i e n c e

R

e s e a r c h

Descriptiveapproaches

Data, findingsare neutralabout any

change/recommendations

AcademicPublications

Prescriptiveapproaches

Data, findingsare in theservice ofchange

Social JusticePub. PolicyEvaluation

Weber


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There’s no such thing as a truly unbiased

study

› Activity: take the Implicit Bias Test at

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeates

t.html

Our goal is to manage, mitigate, orminimize our biases.

• Inclusion of inconvenient facts

• Openness to findings we don’t like or don’t expect

Pursuit of falsifiability

• Reflexivity

• Documentation of methods and processes

• Appropriate data collection techniques

Transparency

• Remain open minded

• Question everything

• Beware of paralysis

Enlightened Skepticism

soc 1 ppt 1 - classical and contemporary theory

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