Description
Sociology 254 explores the many ways that sociologists study the social world. Sociology is a social science and therefore owes much to the formal scientific method. However, because the social behavior that sociologists study cannot be reduced to entirely "objective" phenomena (of the kind studied in the natural sciences), sociology is also an important site to explore and debate other ways of producing knowledge about the social world.
This course introduces the major sociological methodologies: survey research, intensive interviewing, participant observation, experiments, and content research. It use two types of reading materials: those that explain the practices of research, and those that are examples of different kinds of research. The ultimate goals for the course are for you to (1) learn about and evaluate the different sociological research designs through readings and methodological assignments, and (2) conceptualize your own research questions and develop an appropriate research design.