Soc 100: Chapter 3

Question 1

Fact

Answer 1

something that has been observed, and that as far as can be known, is true.

Question 2

Theory

Answer 2

an attempt to explain something that has been observed.

Question 3

hypothesis

Answer 3

a statement that is verifiable/falsifiable and that proposes a specific relationship between or among variables.

Question 4

research methodology

Answer 4

the system of methods a researcher uses to gather data on a particular question.

Question 5

Scientific method

Answer 5

a method of scientific study that consists of systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.

Question 6

Positivism (auguste comte)

Answer 6

belief that the social sciences could be studied using the methods of the natural sciences – experiment, measurement, and systematic observation – the scientific method)

Question 7

Positivism assumes…

Answer 7

no accommodation needs to be made for the biases of the social scientist – this is the problem with positivism.

Question 8

Insider

Answer 8

the viewpoint of those who experience the subject being studied or written about.

Question 9

Outsider

Answer 9

the viewpoint of those outside the group or culture being studied.

Question 10

Quantitative research

Answer 10

focuses on social elements that can be counted or measured – can be used to generate statistics (macrosociologist approach)

Question 11

qualitative research

Answer 11

involves the close examination of characteristics that cannot be counted or measured.

Question 12

triangulation / mixed methods approach

Answer 12

qualitative research is used to confirm or expand on the results of quantitative research, vice versa.

Question 13

Ethnography

Answer 13

a research method, in which communities or groups are studied through extensive fieldwork.

Question 14

Ethnography includes…

Answer 14

semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and informants.

Question 15

Institutional ethnography

Answer 15

a form of ethnography that challenges the need for a neutral stance in sociological research, claiming instead that any institution or organization can be seen as having two sides

Question 16

Ruling interests

Answer 16

interests of the administration or those who hold power in society.

• data on this side is text based

Question 17

Institutional ethnography - worker side

Answer 17

one representing the interests of those working for the organization, but outside of management (e.g. informant).
- data on this side is experiential

Question 18

ruling relations

Answer 18

conformity of workers to the rules and practices of the organization they work for

Question 19

case study approach

Answer 19

a research design that explores a social entity or phenomenon by examining a single representative case or a few selected example.
- best practices

Question 20

best practices

Answer 20

strategies with a proven history of achieving desired results more effectively or consistently than similar methods used in the past by particular organizations or currently by similar organizations.

Question 21

narratives

Answer 21

he stories people tell about themselves, their experiences, and the others around them – the purest/strongest form of the insider view.

Question 22

content analysis

Answer 22

involves studying a set of cultural artifacts or events by systematically counting them and interpreting the themes they reflect.
- data is pre-existing

Question 23

discourse analysis

Answer 23

An approach to analyzing a conversation, a speech, or a written text.

May include entire fields of information.

Question 24

Genealogy

Answer 24

a form of discourse analysis that involves tracing the origin and history of modern discourses.

Question 25

Orientalism

Answer 25

a romanticised discourse about the Middle East and the Far East constructed by outsider ‘experts’ from the West

Question 26

operational definitions

Answer 26

the definition of an abstract quality (e.g. poverty, pollution) in such a way that it can be counted for statistical purposes.

Question 27

variable

Answer 27

a concept with measurable traits or characteristics that can vary or change from one person, group, culture, or time to another.

Question 28

correlation

Answer 28

a mutual relationship or interdependence among variables.

Question 29

causation

Answer 29

the relationship between cause and effect

Question 30

spurious reasoning

Answer 30

the perception of a correlation between two factors that are wrongly seen as cause and effect.

Question 31

third variable

Answer 31

a variable that explains the connection or correlation between two other variables.

Question 32

Ethics - requirements

Answer 32

voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality, and no unnecessary harm to participants.