Chapter 2 - Research Methods Flashcards
what is inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning
inductive - starts with data and observations, conclusions then drawn (bottom up)
Deductive reasoning- starts with theory, then tested (top down)
what is positivism. is it relevant td?
Positivism - belief that every rational assertion an be verified by scientific proof
not relevant today
what is the Insider perspective
someone who has lived through/ identifies with what they’re studying - can possibly develop more trust
what is an outsider perspective
someone who had never lived experience of what their studying - sometimes more difficult to gain access/trust to who they study
what is qualitative research
characteristics that cannot be measured (antipositivism is this)
what is triangulation
mixed method approach; today both are used
what is ethnography and who developed it
extensive fieldwork, participation of daily lives of subjects
You can do participatory observation in an ethnographic study
More broad term for a researcher going into the field to study people in their natural setting
Not looking to generalise results to other groups, interested of gaining information on the specific participants
what is institutional ethnography and who developed it
holds that any organization can have 2 sides of data
One side is the views of the ruling people (those who hold power)
On the other side is the views of someone who works for the organization who is not in management
institutional ethnography recognizes that there is a _____, or separation between the knowledges produced from the perspective of the Bourgeoise and the Proletariat
disjuncture
the _____ _____ appreach studies a single case
case study
a ______ is when someone tells a story about themselves
narrative
participatory observation is when a researcher takes notes on group they’re studying while participating in their lives
what are the advantages and disadvantages
Advantage - allows researchers to study a group in their natural setting
Disadvantage - when researchers lose sight of their objectivity because ~ they become such an active member of the group in which they are submerged that they cant detach themselves subjectively
what are some advantages and disadvantages of using inteviews
Advantage - You can delve more into the question and probe people on specific relevant points (unlike in a survey)
can be biased
what is secondary analysis + advantages of it
analyzing data that already exists, has been collected by somebody else
adv - cheaper
in secondary analysis there is content analysis, discourse analysis and historical analysis. describe them
Content analysis - systematically studying things related to text or media ~ study set of cultural artefact (article, book, clothes) - Can be qualitative or quantitative
Discourse analysis - Study the meaning of how something is written
Historical analysis - analysis of historical text
studying people who don’t know they’re being studied is known as
Systematic Observation (unobtrusive observation)
Must be in public, when you go in public you give up certain privacies
Unethical to study someone in private locations
what are some advantages and disadvantages and survey studies
Advantage - usually a large response
Disadvantage - people can lie (social bias)
send 2 people to do the same thing the same way with a variable between their identities (eg gender) and see how they are treated differently
this is known as what
audit studies
Sociology tells us to approach stats ______
critically
describe the median, average and mean
Median - number that is in the middle/ separates higher/lower halves of scores
Average - add up all scores and evide them
Mean - Same as average
finding a way yo turn an abstract theory such as homelessness into a measurable thing is known as
an operational definition
describe the independent and dependent variable as well as when they are related
Independent variable - have effect on another variable
Dependent variable - affected by independent variable and measures
Correlation - exists between two variables that are associated, move together in a predictable pattern
women’s level of education increases, average income increases
this is an example of _______ correlation
Positive correlation - move together, independent and dependent move together
women level of education increases, number of children decreases
this is an example of ______ correlation
Negative (inverse) - opposite, the independent variable and dependent variable move in opposite direction
_______ are less common is sociology because it’s more difficult to create a controlled environment in the social world
experiments
what are the 3 characteristics for causal relations
-establish a correlation
- change in independent var before dependent var
- Absence of spurious reasoning - when someone see a correlation and incorrectly assumes causation - The third variable problem
a semi-structured interview is
an informal, face-to-face interview designed to cover specific topics
Canadian sociologist Aileen Ross conducted pioneering research at
two women’s shelters in Montreal
Ross’s methodology consisted of observation, informal interviews with the women using the shelter, accounts from the shelter staff, and shelter records.
Billboards, novels, artwork, and clinical records are all examples of
cultural artifacts
The number, score, or result that separates the higher half of results from the lower half of results in a given set of data is called
the median
A closed-ended questionnaire is a form of
quantitative research
When someone uses spurious reasoning, they are
assuming that correlation indicates causation
