Lecture 4 Flashcards
What is research methodology?
the system of methods a researcher uses to gather data on a specific research question
Who is Matthew Desmond and what did he research?
Sociologist & Urban Developer
Found that eviction is a cause, rather than a symptom of poverty
What are the scientific social science research steps?
- Observe
- Identify a research question
- Background research
- Formulate hypothesis
- Select a research design
- Gather data
- Analyze data
- Revise hypothesis/present results (write a report)
What is insider vs outsider?
Insider = subjects of study
Outsider = “Expert”
What is positivism?
the belief that social science can be studied through methods of natural science
ex. experiments, measurement, systematic observation
Who viewed the outsider as the expert who occupies a privileged position?
Auguste Comte
What is Dorothy smiths standpoint theory?
knowledge stems from social position
(knowledge from the standpoint of marginalized groups can provide a more accurate view of society)
What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research close examination of traits and characteristics that cannot be counted or measured (ethnography, oral history)
What is quantitative research?
Quantitative research focuses on social elements that can be counted or measured to generate statistics (surveys, polls etc.)
What is ethnography?
observing and interacting with people in their everyday environment to understand their culture / social practices
What is participant observation?
observing people and actively participating in their activities to obtain a insiders perspective
What is a semi structured interview?
informal, face to face interview
What is a informant?
insiders who help the researcher become accepted by the community
Who developed Institutional Ethnography?
Dorothy Smith
What does institutional ethnography believe?
There are two sides to every institution
What are the two sides of Institutional Ethnography?
- Ruling Interests
- write rules, provide data - Experimental Data
- anyone who works outside management
What is the case study approach?
Focuses on a single case of a social entity
(family, roles, community etc.)
What is narrative?
Narratives are the stories people tell about themselves, their situations and others around them
What is oral history?
A qualitative research method. It’s like sitting down with someone and listening to their personal stories of their past, preserving their experiences for future generations
What is content analysis?
What are the two distinct properties of it?
studying advertisements, articles etc. and interpreting the themes they reflect
- they are not created to be studied
- data is pre-existing
What is discourse analysis?
- Analyzing discourse as a conversation, speech or written text
- considers a broader definition of text, going beyond individual works to include larger fields of information overtime
What is genealogy?
a method of examining the history of the second type of discourse
considers a broader definition of text, going beyond individual work to include larger fields of information over time
What is a operational definition
transform abstract theoretical concepts like poverty, middle class into concrete and observable ways
What is a poll?
survey designed to measure respondents views on a topic
What is a closed ended questionnaire?
Set of answers with set answer options
What is a open ended questionaiire?
capture answers without selecting a predetermined response from a list
