SOC 101 1st Edition Lecture 4Outline of Last Lecture I. Benefits of SociologyII. Origin of Sociology A. HistoryB. ComteIII. Sociological TheoryIV. VocabularyOutline of Current Lecture I. Sociological InvestigationsA. “Doing”SociologyB. Limitations II. Research EthicsIII. Research MethodsIV. 10 steps in Sociological InvestigationV. VocabularyCurrent LectureI. Sociological Investigations Science- a logical system that bases knowledge on direct observations Empirical Evidence – information we can verify with our sensesThere are three types of truths that influence the way we perceive things. 1. Belief systems/ faith 2. Recognized experts 3. An agreement amongst community A. “Doing” Sociology There are three ways to conduct research. Positivist Sociology, Interpretive Sociology, and Critical Sociology. These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Positivist Sociology- the study of society based on systematic observations of social behavior Interpretive Sociology- the study of society that focuses on the meanings people attach to their social worldCritical Sociology- the study of society that focuses on the need for social change B. Limitations 1. Human Behavior is too complex for sociologists to predict any individual’s actions precisely 2. Because humans respond to their surroundings, the presence of a researcher may affect the behavior being studied3. Social patterns vary: what is true in one time or place may not hold true in another 4. Because sociologists are part of the social world they study, they can never be 100% value-free when conducting social research II.Research EthicsEthics, within the field of Sociology, are determined and enforced by the American Sociology Association (ASA). Subjects within Sociology experiments must have “Informed consent”,meaning, the subject must understand the responsibilities and risks that the research involves before agreeing to take part. Sociologists must also have an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to review grants applications and ensure that research will not violate ethical standards. III.Research MethodsResearch Method- a systematic plan for doing research (ex. Experiments, surveys, participant observation, the use of existing data, etc.)1. State which variable is the independent 2. Measure initial value to the dependent 3. Expose the dependent to the independent variable 4. Measure the dependent again to see what changed “Experiments”- a research method for investigating cause and effect under highly controlled conditions “Surveys”- a research method in which subjects respond to a series of statements or questions on a questionnaire or in an interview“Participant Observation”- a research method in which investigations systematically observe people while joining them in their routine activities.IV.10 Steps in Sociological Investigation1. What is your topic?2. What have others already learned?3. What, exactly, are your questions? Are you seeking to explore an unfamiliar social setting?4. What will you need to carry out research?5. Are there ethical concerns?6. What method will you use?7. How will you record the data?8. What does the data tell you?9. What are your conclusions?10. How can you share your findings?V.Vocabulary “Concept”- a mental construct that represents some part of the world in a simplified form. “Variable”- a concept whose values change from case to case “Measurement”- a procedure for determining the value of variables in a specific case “Operationalize a variable”- specifying exactly what is to be measured before assigning a value to the variable “Reliability”- consistency in measurements “Validity”- actually measuring exactly what you intend to measure “Objectivity”- personal neutrality in conducting research. “Hawthorne effect”- a change in a subject’s behavior caused simply by the awareness of being