-
Unit 2
Sociological
Investigation
Text A
Preparatory Work
(1)
Experiment
:
variable, hypothesis, stimulus, control group
Survey
Research
:
sampling,
questionnaire,
interview,
close-ended
questions,
open-ended
questions, code sheet, telephone survey
Field Research
: observation,
participant
Analysis of Existing
Data
: content analysis, statistics
(2)
Hawthorne effect:
The Hawthorne effect (also referred to
as the observer effect) is a
type of
reactivity in which individuals modify or improve
an aspect of their behavior
in
response
to
their
awareness
of
being
observed.
The
original
research
at
the
Hawthorne Works in Cicero, Illinois, on
lighting changes and work structure changes
such as working hours and break times
were originally interpreted by Elton Mayo and
others
to
mean
that
paying
attention
to
overall
worker
needs
would
improve
productivity. This
interpretation wa
s dubbed ―the
Hawthorne effect‖
.
(3)
(
open)
Teaching Suggestion
You can
use the data banks of the two international
organizations to check out
the world or
any particular country’s information in terms of
GDP, population,
territory area, human
development index etc.
The
United Nations (
/en/
) : data
page: /
The World Bank
(
/
) : /
You
can
also
use
the
website
of
the
Statistical
Bureau
of
China
to
check
out
any
statistical information
about China:
/
Critical Reading
I. Understanding the text
1.
Thesis:
How
Sociology
Is
Done
(Research
methods/techniques
employed
in
sociology)
Part
Para(s).
Main idea
I Introduction
1
Sociology
as
a
science
and
its
main
research
methods
Authority,
tradition,
religion,
personal
II
How
do
you
know
what
2-9
experience,
and
mysticism
V.S.
scientific
you know?
methods
III The experiment
10-14
It
is
a
research
technique
in
which
the
researcher
manipulates
a
stimulus
to
test
theories of
cause and effect.
IV Survey
research
15-22
It
is
used and designed to
study samples
V Field research
23-29
VI Analysis of
existing data
30-36
VII
Conclusion
37
in
order
to
measure
attitudes,
beliefs,
values, personality traits, and
behavior of
participants.
It
is
mostly
resembles
our
daily
casual
observations of and participation in
social
behavior,
as
well
as
our
attempt
to
understand such behavior.
It’s
a
method
in
which
sociologists
analyze
data
originally
collected
by
others
Thesis
repeated:
Sociology
is
a
science
because
it
uses
scientific
research
methods
2.
(1)
―common
sense‖:
Common
sense
is
a
basic
ability
to
perceive,
understand,
and
jud
ge
things,
which
is
shared
by
(―common
to‖
)
nearly
all
people
and
can
reasonably be expected of nearly all
people without any need for debate. However,
many of the common sense beliefs are
actually lacking in support from scientific
evidences and therefore biased and
prejudiced.
(2)
Ordinary
people
often
define
their
reality
and
what
they
know
through
authoritative
opinions,
traditional
beliefs,
personal
experience,
and
mysticism
(superstition).
The major differences between this kind of ―common
sense‖ view
knowledge
and
the
results/facts
identified
through
scientific
methods
are:
the
former
are not based on logical reasoning and hard
evidences and therefore tend to
be
subjective and biased while the latter are just
opposite.
(3)
The
three
major
components
of
the
scientific
method
are
theory,
operationalization, and observation.
Theory provides the foundation for concepts
so
that
statements
about
the
relationship
among
variables
can
be
created.
Operationalization allows for the
measurement of the variables so that they may
be empirically examined. And
observation involves the actual collection of data
to
test the hypothesis.
(4)
Types of Social
Phenomena
Content
1.
Meanings and symbols
Aspects
of
culture
such
as
norms,
worldviews,
and
language
2. Practice
Various kinds of
behavior such as voting behaviors or
morning rituals (for example, washing
one’s face and
reading the daily
newspaper)
3. Episodes
A
variety of events, including divorce, crime,
illness,
and
how
people
may
react
during
time
of
disasters,
such as
earthquakes, floods, or the banning of music
television video (MTV)
4.
Encounters
Two
or
more
people
meeting
and
interacting
in
immediate
proximity
with
one
another.
A
good
5. Roles
6. Relationships
7. Groups
8. Organizations
9.
Settlements
(5)
Method
&
brief
description
The
experiment
is
a
research
technique
in
which
the
researcher
manipulates
a
stimulus
—
the
independent
variable
—
to
test
theories
of
cause and effect
example of
this is people riding in an elevator
The
positions
people
occupy
and
the
behavior
associated
with
those
positions:
occupations,
family
roles, ethnic groups
The
kinds of behavior shown in pairs or sets of roles:
mother-daughter relationships,
friendships, and so on.
Small groups,
such as gangs, athletic teams, and work
groups.
Formal
organizations,
such
as
corporations
or
universities
Smaller-
scale
―societies‖
such
as
villages,
ghettos,
and neighborhoods
Advantages
Disadvantages
Excellent
devices
for
?
Could
expose subjects
testing
hypotheses
about
to
the
possibility
of
cause
and
effect
(can
be
harm
repeated
and
can
be
quick
?
Subjects
often
behave
in
identifying results)
differently
under
scientific observation
?
Laboratory
experiments
are
often
highly artificial
Can study samples, limited
numbers
of
people
representing
an
entire
group of people who
share
similar characteristics
It
is
not
the
best
strategy
for
studying
deviant
or
undesirable
behaviors
or
for
getting
at
ideas
and
feelings
that
cannot
easily
be
reduced
to
Can
be
designed
to
questionnaire form.
measure
attitudes,
beliefs,
values,
personality
traits,
It
is
designed
to
study
and
behavior
of
individuals
rather
than
participants
social contexts.
May
investigate
various
Cannot
be
repeated
and
types of social phenomena
applied
to
similar
situations
Can
reveal
things
that
would
not
otherwise
be
The
researchers
as
apparent
participants
rely
on
personal
perception
and
The
presence
of
an
judgement,
thus
might
be
Survey
research
is
used
and
designed
to
study
samples
in
order
to
measure
attitudes,
beliefs,
values,
personality
traits,
and
behavior
of
participants.
Field
research
is
mostly
resembles our daily casual
observations
of
and
participation
in
social
behavior,
as
well
as
our
attempt to
understand such
behavior.