Sociological Research Methods Titus Bargeboe

Sociological Research Methods

• Social Research Methods: Systematic techniques and strategies for collecting information.
• Ways of Knowing:
  • Personal experience
  • Tradition
  • Authority
  • Religion
  • Science (controlled, systematic observation)
• 5 Main Goals of Sociological Research:
  • Enumeration and Description (e.g., census)
  • Prediction (policy analysis)
  • Explanation (theories)
  • Debunking (challenging common beliefs)
  • Social Justice (understanding marginalized groups)
• Theory and Research Cycle:
  • Deductive Approach: Deriving specific observations from general ideas. (Theory -> Hypothesis -> Observations -> Generalizations)
  • Inductive Approach: Deriving general ideas from specific observations. (Observations -> Generalizations -> Tentative Theory -> Hypothesis -> Observations)
• Basic Concepts of Social Research:
  • Descriptive Research: Describes social reality; facts, groups, practices, events.
  • Explanatory Research: Explains relationships and reasons for events.
  • Independent Variable: Manipulated to explore its effect.
  • Dependent Variable: Changes in response to the independent variable.
  • Causality: One variable causing a change in another.

Research Process

• Identifying an Area of Study:
  • Choosing a topic area
  • Understanding previous studies
  • Identifying research gaps & questions
• Literature Review:
  • Overview of past research
  • Understanding previous studies and research gaps
  • Clarifying the study's significance.
• Research Questions: Well-defined, answerable questions about a phenomenon.
  • Characteristics of good research questions: Clarity, specificity, feasibility.
• Research Design: Blueprint of the study.
  • Study type, questions, hypotheses, variables, data collection/analysis, ethics.
  • Operationalization: Measuring abstract concepts.
  • Variable: Measurable attribute or characteristic.
  • Justifying decisions on data collection, populations, and analysis, with ethics in mind.
• Collecting and Analyzing Data:
  • Quantitative Methods: Numerical data (surveys).
    • Hypotheses: Predictions about relationships between variables.
    • Correlation: Measure of association between variables (positive or negative).
    • Reliability: Consistency and replicability of findings.
    • Validity: Accuracy in representing the real world.
    • Statistics: Analysing large quantities of data.
  • Qualitative Methods: Non-numerical data (interviews, images).
  • Mixed Methods: Combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.
  • Benefits of mixed methods: Data triangulation (verifying findings).
  • Disadvantages of mixed methods: Time-consuming, multiple data collection methods.

Decolonizing Methodologies, Conflict Theory, Feminism, Functionalism, and Symbolic Interactionism

• Decolonizing Methodologies: Emphasize Indigenous histories, life courses, phenomenology, and cultural sensitivity in research and acknowledging Indigenous histories and cultures.
• Conflict Theory: Examines inequalities in access to resources, power, and privileges with attention to researchers' positions as authority figures and critical reflection.
• Feminism: Investigates inequalities among social groups, experiences of marginalized groups (Black women, Indigenous women, transgender individuals), and different social locations based on background, status, class, etc.
• Functionalism: Examines societal organization and institutions' roles in maintaining order, often relying on quantitative methods.
• Symbolic Interactionism: Studies how people understand the world through interactions and the role of symbols in meaning-making. Often using qualitative methods like participant observation & ethnomethodology.

Survey Research

• Survey Research:
  • Used to describe trends, relationships, or analyze a phenomenon.
  • Collects data from a population (complete group) using a sample (subset representative of the population).
• Survey Types:
  • Self-administered questionnaires
  • Researcher-administered questionnaires
• Sampling Techniques:
  • Simple random sampling (selection by chance)
  • Systematic sampling
  • Stratified sampling (proportional representation of categories)
• Quantitative Research Process: Selecting and defining problems, literature review, hypothesis formulation, research design, data collection/analysis, findings and conclusions.

Interviews, Qualitative Sampling, Field Research, Secondary Data Analysis

• Interviews: Conversations with sampled individuals.
  • In-depth, unstructured: Flexible interviewing approach.
  • Semi-structured: Based on a guide with topics and questions.
• Qualitative Sampling Techniques:
  • Purpose sampling (judgmental sampling): Selecting participants based on their characteristics.
  • Convenience sampling: Selecting accessible participants.
  • Snowball sampling (referral sampling): Participants recruit other participants.
• Field Research: Observation in natural settings (schools, hospitals).
  • Participant observation: Researcher observes and participates.
  • Ethnography: Researcher fully immerses in a setting.
  • Photovoice: Understanding marginalized experiences through participant expression.
• Secondary Data Analysis: Analyzing existing data (written or visual).
  • Institutional data (government reports)
  • Digital data (e.g., social media).

Ethics of Conducting Human Research

• Ethics: Minimize harm to participants.
• Informed consent: Obtaining permission after providing details about the study.
• Coercion: Avoiding persuasion to participate.
• Indigenous data sovereignty: Respecting Indigenous peoples' control over their data.