Lecture 7-8 M1 Flashcards
What are the benefits of using documentary research? Use an example to explain
You can get an idea of what something was actually like from the past. An example is Ashworth’s study of trench warfare
What are the weaknesses for using documentary research?
- Research is dependent on sources that are partial
- sources may be difficult to authenticate
What is the definition of the research method experimentation?
investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions
Why is using experimentation helpful?
It allows researchers to control certain variables
Why is experimentation rarely used in sociology?
- ethical issues surrounding human experimentation
- experiments are usually done in a lab which causes issues for sociologists
What is an example of using experimentation in sociology and what did it highlight?
- Zimbardo’s lab Stanford prison experiment used students to enact roles of guard and prisoner
- it showed that behaviour is more influenced by institutions than individual characteristics
What are unobtrusive measures?
- non reactive research
- people being studied are not aware that they are a part of research
- people leave evidence of social behaviours which is what is studied
Are non reactive research and participant observation the same thing?
No
What are the two categories of unobtrusive research?
- erosion measures
- accretion measures
What are erosion measures? Give and example
- greater wear means greater use
- studying children’s toys and which has more wear to look at gender influence
What are accretion measures? Give an example
- gradual accumulation of something
- looked at levels of alcohol use by looking at amount of bottles in the dump
What is the definition of mixed method studies?
Using two or more methods of obtaining data
Why would someone use mixed methods studies?
- confirmation
- complementarity
What is confirmation? Explain an example
Want to verify one research method by using another, showing that the findings don’t depend on the methods of data collection. An example is racial discrimination in hiring in the US, comparing survey and participant observation.
What is complementarity? Describe an example.
Adding a research method to enhance what we already have. Can either use large scale surveys to enhance small data or vice versa. An example is the role of daycare in the US, first starting off with participant observation then moving to a survey.
