Question

QUESTION/SUBJECT.  Choose a sociological subject in relation to your department (field of study). Ask sociological questions about the subject in accordance with a sociologist’s lines of questioning (please refer to the Table 3.1: A Sociologist’s Line of Questioning in the textbook, read the related part, and watch the OL video if you need). Give your answers in the space allocated below. You should rely on your own examples and words. Thus, there can be no identical papers.  In such cases as well as copy-paste writing, the essays in question will be considered as cheated.

ANSWER.

YOUR DEPARTMENT/FIELD OF STUDY:

YOUR SUBJECT/TOPIC:

1. FACTUAL QUESTION:

2. COMPARATIVE QUESTION:

3. DEVELOPMENTAL QUESTION:

4. THEORETICAL QUESTION:

Answer 1

Introduction

As researchers, we need to consider the types of question we want to answer. Factual questions give us information about what, who and how. The next step is to ask ‘How usual is this?’ – in other words to ask comparative questions about the situation in other countries or in different types of society. Another comparison is the one undertaken over time rather than across space and such an approach involves developmental questions. Empirical and theoretical questions both have their place in sociology.

A developmental question is a question that requires the learner to process information, not simply recall it from a lecture, a handbook, or other source.

A theoretical question is any question that incorporates a theoretical aspect. They usually start with things like “Imagine if…” or “What would you do…” etc

• Imagine you wake up in a pond full of alligators. How would you escape?
• What would you do if your dog started talking to you?
• If all the oxygen was removed from the atmosphere for 3 seconds, what would happen?

Sociological research can be said to be scientific because it has a systematic method, is rooted in empirical investigations and data analysis, involves theoretical thinking and depends on the logical assessment of competing arguments.

The research process works in the following way. It starts from a problem, whether in the shape of a knowledge gap, or perhaps a puzzle or a lack of understanding. The second stage is to conduct a systematic review of existing studies in order to identify possible insights and omissions. At the third stage, the research problem is honed down to aid the formulation of hypotheses which, to be of much use, must be couched in such a way that the results of the research either support or disprove them. From here, some thought must be given to designing a piece of research using relevant methods that are most likely to achieve the research’s objectives.

The execution of research is by no means straightforward, with problems of ethics, access and possible restrictions on the content of what may be published. Added to this is the difficulty of interpreting the data produced and of presenting the findings in a range of formats suitable for particular audiences.

Distinguishing cause and effect can be problematic; in particular, one must separate causation and correlation of variables.

A common distinction is often made between quantitative and qualitative research methods and traditions. Many research projects today make use of mixed methods in order to gain a more comprehensive or rounded understanding and explanation of the subject being studied. Sociologists make use of a varied range of research methods including ethnography, surveys, biographical research, comparative research, historical analysis, visual sociology, use of the Internet and, less frequently, experiments.

Ethnography involves fieldwork using participant observation.Surveys are usually operationalized through either standardized or open-ended questionnaires. Key considerations are consistency, comprehension and characteristics of respondents (sampling is crucial in this regard – this can be random or through the use of quotas).

Descriptive statistics usually present measures of dispersion (the range, standard deviation) or of central tendency (mean, mode and median).

Experiments test hypotheses under controlled conditions. While overwhelmingly associated with the natural sciences, on rare occasions such methods can be applied in sociology. Biographical studies explore life histories, sometimes via oral testimony, and often use documentary sources, such as personal diaries, to better understand how individuals experience social life.

Comparative research and historical research are often combined to compare the development of different societies over time. Comparative-historical research usually involves studying secondary sources.

Visual sociology uses photographs, film, television programmes, video, and so on, not just as supportive illustrations in research studies, but makes them objects of study in their own right.

The Internet acts as a readily available source of information, offers access to ‘virtual’ communities that can assist in research studies, and facilitates the speeding up of academic exchanges, spreading local research across the international scholarly community. However, learning how to assess such material for its accuracy and value will be much more important in the future.

Since all methods have some limitations, it is necessary and desirable to employ ‘triangulation’.

The influence of sociological research is most evident in applied research, which targets specific social problems, and when policy-makers draw on its findings. However, sociology also exists in a reflexive relation to the people it studies and in this way contributes to the life of societies.

e.g.

YOUR DEPARTMENT/FIELD OF STUDY: NURSING

YOUR SUBJECT/TOPIC: SOCOILOGY

A comparative study to assess the effects of cancer in different cities of Australia and in the US

1. FACTUAL QUESTION: What treatments are effective in prolonging the lives of cancer patients?
2. COMPARATIVE QUESTION: How is cancer affecting in different cities of Australia?
3. DEVELOPMENTAL QUESTION: How does the treatment for cancer vary by social class and ethnicity?
4. THEORETICAL QUESTION: What would you do if a person having cancer will be depressed?