Description

Research Methods explores the many ways that sociologists study the social world. Sociology is a social science and owes much to the formal scientific method. Yet 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 practice of social research and reviews sociology's key methodologies: survey research, qualitative interviewing, participant observation, experiments, and content analysis.

Learning objectives

1. To learn about the scientific method and its adaptations for social research.
2. To practice interpreting empirical data and posing research questions using the frameworks of scientific theory.
3. To evaluate empirical research by critically reading sociological studies (for this course, on the subject of urban inequality).
4. To appreciate the practical and ethical complexities of social research through data-gathering exercises.
5. To propose original research projects and select methodologies appropriate to the subjects you want to study.

 

 

 

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