There are different factors that influence sociologist's choice of research. Sociologists have to firstly decide what particular area or topic they want to study, in order for them to carry out their research. When sociologists choose a topic, there are two types of sources available to the sociologists, they are Primary and Secondary. Primary is the data collected by the researchers themselves, usually in the form of questionnaires or interviews. Secondary is the data that is already available e.g. official statistics, diaries, historical documents etc. The researcher then has to decide what type of method they will use for their research.
The topic chosen for research will indicate the method to be used e.g. voting would involve the
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The job of sociologists is to uncover the social laws that govern human behaviour. When they collect information about the social world, they usually subscribe to a scientific model known as the hypothetico-deductive approach. This is the model that natural science employs in, for example, laboratory experiments.
Stage 1 - Phenomena are observed.
Stage 2 - A testable hypothesis (an educated guess) is constructed to explain the phenomena.
Stage 3 - Empirical data (factual information) is collected in a systematic way.
Stage 4 - The data is interpreted and analysed to see whether it confirms or refutes the hypothesis.
Stage 5 - If the hypothesis is confirmed time and time again, it becomes a theory. If the data refutes the hypothesis, the scientist should reject or revise it, and begin the data-collection process again.
The major scientific method in the natural sciences used for collecting data is the laboratory experiment. In Sociology, the major scientific method used by positivists is the social or sample survey, which incorporates the use of the questionnaire and/or structured interview. Positivists also advocate the use of some types of secondary data, particularly official statistics.
However, Interpretivist (anti-positivist) sociologists are sceptical about sociology’s scientific status. They argue that human behaviour is not the result of
Sample answer:Some sociologists do surveys and use other quantitative methods. Other sociologists use ethnographic methods and interviews; these are qualitative methods. Some people could try to argue that one approach is better than the other,
Below all five steps of hypothesis testing will be examined to determine what the researcher should conclude:
One known research method is the Scientific Method which is a uniform way of creating observations, assembly data, establishing concepts, testing predictions, and understanding outcomes. These observations are made in order to observe and define behaviors. The first step to take in using a scientific method is to develop an issue or question. Next step is to perform a research and observation on the issue or question that was developed. Then a hypothesis needs to be formulated after these steps have been made.
A sociologist obtains their data by the scientific method as described above (utilizing the scientific method) observation, hypothesis testing, data analysis, and generalization. A sociologist would have to ask many questions. Knowledge of history, biological data, and environment are factors to be considered, therefore research would be important too. Seeing how all the facts are related, how the facts affect us, etc, would give new insights about the human condition.
Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the “big picture” which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns.
What is the research method (i.e.: survey, participant observation, experiment, secondary sources) used by the researchers?
The use of research in the field of sociology has led to many breakthroughs in us as humans understanding both ourselves and our culture around us. As we as society continue working to develop a better understanding of how and why we act and interact with our surroundings we need to continue completing research to answer these questions. Research in sociology has created a better understanding of society and will continue to provide clues into the human mind. However, research must be completed properly and ethically along with proper research methods. Without proper procedures of completing research we as society may receive wrong information or biased answers about questions we want answered. There are four types of research that sociology uses to give us answers about our society and careful consideration must be taken to follow the rules of these research types.
findings. It is composed of several steps, it starts with observations. Observations are where a person collects known data concerning what you are going to test on. Next they formulate a hypothesis based on their observations. After they have a hypothesis they
The method has 5 phases: asking the question, researching existing sources, formulating a hypothesis, designing and conducting the study, and drawing conclusions. There are a few ways sociologist could gather information about the education system. One too could be surveying students and faculty. Sociologists also could use field research or participant observation to observe first hand in classrooms and schools. Ethnography could be used to observe the school system in a county or
Sociology is study of the human society by observing and doing experiment. Sociology is mainly study in two ways; basic/pure and applied. Auguste Comte was the founder of sociology. Sociology was emerged as a field of study during the 1920s and 1930s. It becomes field of study because people started to observe a lot of things on a society such as: inequality, discrimination, poorness and many more. So, people started to use their theory to study about the societies in terms of sociology.
As a sociologist, I would have to examine different “groups” of people such as race, ethnicity, and sex, to try to find out how certain groups respond to situations where changes in society are present. Perhaps a vast majority of a certain group would spread crime in different ways, become wealthier than others, become more poverty-stricken than others, be more interested in certain fields, feel strongly about certain subjects, etc. The sociologist would then see how the group was affected and why they did were, whether it was from a history of wealth, poverty, or racism. Comparative
(3)- Proving the hypotheses correct by a series of experiments and tests. If the experiments do not bear out the hypotheses,
Outline the sources of secondary data that sociologists use and assess their advantages and disadvantages. (33 marks)
Sociology is a social science that enables people to understand the structure and dynamics of society. By using a scientific approach, and by critically analysing society using qualitative and quantitative methods, sociologists can find patterns and connections within human behaviour to provide explanations of how society affects people. Sociological views are based on theories that have been tested through unbiased research and attempt to take all values into account. Common sense theories are generally individualistic and naturalistic assumptions that are based on opinions than can vary depending on an individuals
The scientific method is commonly described as a four-step process involving observations, hypothesis, experiments, and conclusion. And Intelligent design begins with the observation that intelligent agents produce complex and specified information. Design theorists hypothesize that if a natural object was designed, it will contain high levels of complex and specified information. Scientists then perform experimental tests upon natural objects to determine if they contain complex and specified information.