Studying Society Flashcards
What is the sociological approach?
A way of understanding human society that focuses on social structures
What is the psychological approach?
A way of understanding human behaviour by looking at individual make up
What is social control?
Ways of ensuring people behave in socially acceptable ways
What is culture?
Where a group of people share norms beliefs and values
What is socialisation?
The process of learning norms, values and beliefs
What are norms?
Ways to act and behave that are seen as normal
What are values
The things that a culture believes are important
What are beliefs?
The things that a culture believes in
What is stratified sampling?
Picking people from different groups within the population
What is random sampling?
Sample is selected by picking names randomly
What is quota sampling?
The researcher picks participants until they have the number they need
What is systematic sampling?
Researcher uses a system to pick participants
What is snowball sampling?
Researcher selects one person and then asks them to pass on word
Strengths of stratifies sampling
Sample will be representative of whole population
Weaknesses of stratified sampling?
Time consuming
Strength of random sampling?
No bias
Quick and easy
Weakness of random sampling
Sample might be same type of people
Strength of quota sampling
Quick and easy
Weakness of quota sampling
Sample is likely to be biased
Strength of systematic sampling
Sample will hopefully be representative
Weakness of systematic sampling?
Only people on register stand a chance of being selected
Strength of snowball sampling
Useful for hard to contact groups
Weakness of snowball sampling
Time consuming
What does reliable mean?
The results are consistent
What does ethical mean?
Treating the participants well
What is validity?
Measures what it’s supposed to
What does representative mean?
Participants are an accurate sample of the whole population
What is the Hawthorne effect?
The participants act up because they know they are being studied
What is primary research?
When researcher collects data themselves
Strength of primary research
More likely to be accurate and relevant
Weakness of primary research
Time consuming
Expensive
Difficult to collect large amounts of info
What is secondary research?
When data has been collected by someone else
Strength of secondary research
Easy to collect a lot of data
Lots of sources available
Weakness of secondary research
More likely to be biased
Examples of primary research methods
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations
Experiments
Examples of secondary research
Statistics
Letters
Other research studies
Advantages of questionnaires
Quick and easy
Disadvantages of questionnaires
People might not send them back
Misunderstand questions
Advantages of statistics
Representative of whole population
Disadvantages of statistics
Biased
Advantages of media reports
Easy to access data
Disadvantages of media reports
Information is biased
Advantages of interviews
Reliable
Valid
Disadvantages of interviews
Influence of researcher
Advantages of letters
Help us understand past
Disadvantages of letters
Biased - based on person
Advantages of interviews
Open questions
Disadvantage of interviews
Less reliable
Functionalist views on the family
Positive for society
Reproduction
Primary socialisation
Economic support
New right view on family
Negative for society if not nuclear family. Children from nuclear smilies:
Do better at school
Better jobs
Don’t turn to crime
Marxist view on family
Negative for society
Maintains inequality
Feminist view on family
Negative for society
Negative socialisation
Ethical issues of studying society
Participant doesn’t know being observed -> can’t give consent
Advantages of official statistics
Readily available and easy to access
Wide range of data
Disadvantages of statistics
Politically biased
Methods of collecting may have changes
How has the relationship between children and parents changed?
Children not wanted for work Less children (valued more) Childminders More technology to avoid family time Divorces are higher -> less contact with a parent
How has the life expectancy changed?
Much longer
Better medical knowledge
Sanitation
Healthier lifestyles
What impact does the life expectancy have on family?
Means people are having less children later in life and are focussing on a career first
What is happening to infant mortality?
Much lower
Better knowledge
Sanitation
Better care for babies
Advantages of non participant observation
You can observe how they behave
Disadvantages of non participant observation
Might not act naturally
Can’t give consent
Advantages of participant observation
Valid
Can see from participants POV
Disadvantages of participant observation
Criminal behaviour to blend in
Can’t give consent
What is a pilot study?
A small scale version
What is a longitudinal study?
Where data is collected about the same groups repeatedly over a long period of time
What is a pilot study?
A small scale version
What is a longitudinal study?
Where data is collected about the same groups repeatedly over a long period of time
definition of sociology
the study of human life groups and societies
what is a society?
a group of people who share a culture
what are social structures?
groups that make up society such as families and the education system
what are social processes
processes such as socialisation
what are social issues?
problems that affect people i their daily lives, such as crime
example of social issues (3)
fear of crime
inequality
poverty
what is culture?
the way of life of a society
what are the four things culture includes?
values
norms
beliefs
language
what is socialisation
the process by which we learn culture
what is social stratification?
the way society if structured
what are the 6 steps in carrying out sociological research?
develop hypothesis carry out pilot study select sample collect data analyse data evaluate study
what is the population of a study?
the particular group being studied
what is a sample?
a subgroup of the population selected for study
what is the sampling frame
a list of members in the population
what is a representative sample?
a sample that has the same characteristics of the whole population (eg same percent of races)
what are generalisations?
general statements that apply to the wider population
what is a peer review?
when studies are assessed by fellow sociologists before publishing
what is simple random sampling?
where each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
what is systematic sampling?
when every nth person is picked
what is stratified random sampling?
when the population of the survey is representative of th total population
what is snowball sampling?
when research is introduced to others via contact
what is a cross sectional survey?
whn a group of people are given a questionnaire only once
advantage of cross-sectional survey
not as time consuming
cheap
disadvantage of cross-sectional survey
only tells about these people’s views at one time
what is a longitudinal survey?
a study of a group of people over time
advantage of longitudinal survey
allows us to examine change
disadvantage of longitudinal survey
time consuming
expensive
what is reliability?
when the results are consistent a second time round
what is validity
when results provide an accurate result
what is the Interview Effect?
when interviewees give answers thataren’t true just to sound more socially acceptable
what is an unstructured interview
a guided conversation where the interviewer has a list of prompts
advantages of unstructured interviews (3)
interviewer can clear misunderstandings
can ask more questions
more valid
disadvantages of unstructured interviews (3)
more time consuming
interviewer effect
interview effect
disadvantage of using closed questions
none of the options may apply to the respondent
advantage of closed questions
easier to analyse
easier and quicker for recipient
why are pilot studies used
test effectiveness
can spot any errors
advantages of group interviews (2)
interviewer can gather a wide range of views
interviewees feel more comfortable
disadvantage of group interviews (3)
some people will dominate discussion
may feel intimidated
won’t be honest
hat happens in a participant observation interview
the interviewer joins a group in order to study it
what is covert participant observation?
when a person interacts within a group but they don’t know they are collecting research
advantages of covert PO (2)
removes interviewer effect
often difficult to reach certain groups
disadvantages of covert PO (3)
can be hard to get into a group
may become involved in illegal activity
danger of detection
what is overt PO?
when the researcher is open about their reason for joining the group
advantages of overt PO (2)
avoids ethical issues
group observed in ‘natural setting’
disadvantages of overt PO (2)
interviewer effect
less likely to see honest response
what is quantitative secondary data?
numerical information such as statistics that measures something
what is qualitative secondary data?
presented in visual form, for instance as articles
what are ethical issues?
they are questions raised about how to conduct research that protects the rights of the participants
Example of an ethical issue
talking about sensitive topics like divorced
what is social construction
the idea that characteristics of people aren’t biological, they are created by society
