Chapter 2 Flashcards
What is research methodology
It is the system of methods a researcher uses to gather data on a particular question
What is the scientific method
it’s a series of steps leading up to proof
Who coined the term sociology
Auguste Comte
what does Positivism mean
the belief that Social Sciences could be studied using the methods used to study natural sciences
what is the difference between the insider and outsider voice
insider voice - the subject being studied who provides information that comes from their experience
outsider voice - experts that use their privilege to decide the authenticity over the insider perspective
What is Standpoint Theory
states that the social location of sociologists impacts the questions they ask and the answers they recieve
What is quantitative research
research that focuses on social elements that can be counted or measured, which then can be used to generate statistics
What is qualitative research
research that involves the close examination of characteristics that can’t be counted or measured
What is Ethnography
It’s when a researcher participates in the daily lives of the subjects, observing their actions and asking questions
Participant Observation
observing people and actively participating in their activities to obtain an insiders perspective
semi-structured interviews
informal, face-to-face interviews
What is Institutional Ethnography
Institutional ethnography recognizes that every institution has two sides, each associated with a different kind of data
Ruling interests and ruling relations
ruling interests are the interests of the organization, or interests of those who hold power in society
When workers of the society follow these rules and practices, their activating ruling relations
What is the Case Study Approach
it’s when you explore a social entity of phenomenon by examining a single representative case, or a few selected examples
What are Narratives
Narratives are the stories people tell about themselves, they’re situations and others around them. Narratives are the purest form of the insider view
What is Content Analysis and what are the two distinct properties of it
involves studying a set of cultural artifacts (newspaper articles, billboards, artwork or children’s books, etc.)
Or events and interpretations the themes they reflect
- they are not created to be specifically studied
- the data is pre-existing and non-interactive
What is Discourse Analysis
An approach too analyzing a conversation, a speech, or a written text.
What are Statistics
the use of numbers to map social behaviour and beliefs
Why are Statistics alone not that great
statistics uses numbers, because it is good information to have, but it doesn’t tell you the reasoning behind the numbers, the research doesn’t go as deep into explaining why the numbers are at the about they are
What is the meaning of “Measuring the Centre”
A “measure of the centre” is a way of taking all of the data you have gathered on a particular subject and finding the most representative result
What is a Median
The Median represents the number, score, or result that separates the higher half of the results with the lower half of the results in a given set of data
How is an Average found
The average is found by adding up all the scores and dividing the total by the number of scores you have
What is an Operational Definition
the definition of an abstract quality in such a way that it can be counted for statistical purposes
for example, poverty/pollution/abuse/middle class,
What is Absolute Poverty
anything below the minimum income level needed to ensure basic necessities
What are Close-ended Questionnaires and what type of research us it used by
Used in Quantitative research
it’s when respondents are asked to reply to a set of questions by selecting the best answer from a list of possibilities
What are Open-ended Questionnaires and what type of research us it used by
Used in Qualitative Research
when respondents are encouraged to answer freely to each question without having to select a predetermined response from a list
independent variable
has an effect on another variable (the cause)
dependent variable
affected by the independent variable (the effect)
What is a Correlation
it is a measure of the extent to which two variables are related. … Therefore, when one variable increases as the other variable increases, or one variable decreases while the other decreases.
Direct (positive) Correlation
occurs when the independent and the dependant variables increase or decrease together
Inverse (negative) correlation
occurs when the two variables change in opposing directions
what is causation
the linking of effects and causes
What is Spurious Reasoning
when someone sees correlation and falsely assumes causation.
