Research Methods case studies

Question 1

(COVERT Participant Observation) outline Venkatesh’s gang case study; ‘gang leader for a day’

Answer 1

• he integrated into the black gang in which he observed
• Venkatesh told the gang leader that he would write a book about them - was covertly researching them for sociology
• he was there nearly 8yrs + found it hard to leave + integrate back into his old life - he went native
• he participated in gang activities such as beating a domestic abuser - ethical issue

Question 2

(LAB EXPERIMENT) outline Milgram’s case study

Answer 2

• a lab experiment
• he told Ps to administer electric shocks when a learner answered a Q wrong
• the shocks were fake, but Ps thought they were real
• aimed to measure obedience to authority

Question 3

(LAB EXPERIMENT) outline Harvey + Slatin’s case study

Answer 3

• 100 teachers were shown 20 images of children from different social class backgrounds
• teachers were asked to rate the children based on their performance, aspirations etc
• WC children were rated les favourably
• teachers said they based their ratings on the similarities percieved between the image and the students they’ve taught

Question 4

(FIELD EXPERIMENT) outline Rosenthal + Jacobsen’s case study (Pygmalion Effect)

Answer 4

• a field experiment
• aimed to test the effect of teachers’ expectations of children’s ability and if it will affect their progress
• they did this by randomly picking 20% of all students and identified them as ‘spurters’
• after a year, they returned, and found that the ‘spurter’ labelled students progressed much further than those who hadn’t been labelled
• they assumed that the teachers gave the labelled students special attention

Question 5

(COVERT PO) outline Griffins case study

Answer 5

• in Griffins ‘Black like me’ study, he went undercover as a black man in 1960s southern America
• he used medication and sun beds to appear darker skinned
• aimed to experience first hand the impact of racism

Question 6

(QUESTIONNAIRE) outline Connor + Dewson’s study

Answer 6

• posted 4,000 questionnaires to students
• aimed to explore factors influencing the decisions of the WC going to Uni

Question 7

(QUESTIONNAIRE) outline Schofield’s case study

Answer 7

• a questionnaire
• aimed to research the sexual behaviours of teens
• one question asked ‘are you a virgin?’, in which someone answered ‘no, not yet’
• this shows lack of operationalising and misunderstanding that can occur with Questionnaires

Question 8

(INTERVIEWS) outline Dobash + Dobash’s case study

Answer 8

• carried out over 100 unstructured interview
• aimed to investigate domestic violence among victims
• researchers were able to build a rapport

Question 9

(INTERVIEWS) outline Willis’ case study

Answer 9

• used group interviews
• aimed to investigate Laddish behaviour/ subcultures among WC boys + their experience of education
• issue of peer pressure

Question 10

(SECONDARY SOURCES) outline Aries’ use of SS

Answer 10

• Aries used historic paintings (documents)
• aimed to study the rise of the modern notions of childhood

Question 11

(SECONDARY SOURCES) outline Hey’s use of SS

Answer 11

• Hey used school girls’ notes passed
• aimed to investigate friendship issues/ patterns
• issue of ethics

Question 12

(COMPARATIVE METHOD) outline Durkheim’s study

Answer 12

• used official statistics to demonstrate how suicide could be explained by social rather than individual factors - suicide rates vary across social contexts
• he compared this secondary source from different countries to study how social factors affect suicide rates on a macro scale

Question 13

(UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS) outline Oakley’s study

Answer 13

• Oakley conducted almost 180 unstructured interviews with w about becoming mothers
• she spent on avg 9hrs interviewing each woman + even attended some births
• O aimed to involve the women as active collaborators/ friends - building a personal rapport between herself and the women
• O’s development of a more equal + intimate relationship improved the quality of her research by allowing her to get more information about their experiences

Question 14

(DOCUMENTS) outline the case study of the Macpherson Inquiry

Answer 14

• Macpherson Inquiry: was a report of a public inquiry into the murder of the black teen boy, Stephan Lawrence
• is an example of a public document

Question 15

(CONTENT ANALYSIS) outline Walbys study

Answer 15

• Walby, a feminist, made a thematic analysis of the ways newspapers report rape cases
• there is often victim blaming for female victims
• the rapist is constructed as a sick individual who is separate from ordinary men