Sociology Research Methods

Idealism and Social Science

• Max Weber's perspective: science is about interpreting and understanding individuals (social action) through interpretative sociology.
• Focus on individuals and their actions as the basic units (atoms).

Worldviews and Research Approaches

• 4 worldviews (Creswell & Creswell):
  • Post-positivism
  • Constructivism
  • Idealism
  • Pragmatism

Post-positivism

• Also known as 'the scientific method'
• Typically quantitative
• Deterministic: cause and effect; drive to assess the causes that influence outcomes
• Deductive: begins with theory and data is collected to support or refute the theory
• Research seeks to develop true statements that can explain or describe phenomena
• Objectivity is essential: researchers must examine methods and conclusions for bias and maintain a standard of reliability and validity in quantitative research
• Based on empirical observation and measurement
• Reductionist: reduces ideas into a small, discrete set to test

Constructivism

• Typically qualitative
• Researchers generate theory through induction
• Focus on understanding: individuals seek understanding of the world in which they live and work
• Multiple participant meanings: researcher looks for complexity of views rather than narrowing meanings into a few categories or ideas
• Meaning is constructed through individual experiences, resulting in varied and complex views
• Goal of research relies on participants' views of the situation

Research Approaches

• 3 components:
  • Philosophical worldviews: basic set of beliefs that guide action
  • Research design/strategies of inquiry: provide specific direction for procedures in a research study
  • Specific methods: forms of data collection, analysis, and interpretation that researchers propose for their studies

Types of Data

• Qualitative data: non-numerical data
• Quantitative data: numerical data
• Mixed methods: combination of qualitative and quantitative
• Note: false dichotomy, useless distinction; survey questions may be a mix of both

Conceptual Model

• Simplified representation of reality
• Can be either deductive or inductive
• Key: mechanisms that are at play
• Visual/graphical or in a narrative form

Types of Conceptual Models

• Based on the type of relationship they represent:
  • Direct relationship (between variables)
  • Mediating/intervening variables
  • Moderating variable

Sampling

• Non-probability sampling:
  • Convenience sampling
  • Purposeful sampling
  • Snowball sampling
  • Opportunistic/emergent sampling
  • Maximum variation sample
  • Extreme/deviant case
  • Typical case
  • Theoretical sample
  • Discriminant sampling

Survey Research

• Positioning survey research:
  • Deductive (rather than inductive)
  • Nomothetic (rather than idiographic)
  • Quantitative (rather than qualitative)
  • Positivistic (rather than constructivist)
  • Pragmatic (rather than transformative)
• Surveys answer 3 types of questions:
  • About behavior
  • About attitudes/beliefs/opinions
  • About characteristics