Chapter 2
Asking and Answering Sociological Questions
Study Outline
Sociological Questions
- Sociologists explore factual (i.e., empirical), comparative, developmental, and theoretical questions. Attempts to answer these four types of questions should not be biased by the researcher's values.
The Research Process
- Sociologists investigate social life by posing distinct questions and seeking answers via systematic research. These questions may be factual, comparative, developmental, or theoretical.
- All research begins from a research problem, which may be suggested by gaps in the existing literature, theoretical debates, or practical issues in the social world. There are clear steps in the development of research strategies—although these are rarely followed exactly in actual research.
Understanding Cause and Effect
- A causal relationship is one in which one event or situation brings about the other. Causation must be distinguished from correlation, which refers to the existence of a regular relationship between two variables (such as differences in age, income, or crime rates). An independent variable is one that produces an effect on another. The dependent variable is the one that is affected. Sociologists often use controls to ascertain a causal relationship.
Research Methods
- In fieldwork, or participant observation, the researcher spends lengthy periods with a group or community being studied. Survey research involves sending or administering questionnaires to samples of a larger population. Documentary research uses printed materials, from archives or other resources, as a source for information. Other research methods include experiments, the use of life histories, historical analysis, and comparative research.
- Because each research method has limitations, researchers often combine two or more methods, using each to check or supplement the material obtained from the others. This process is triangulation.
Research in the Real World: Methods, Problems, and Pitfalls
- Sociological research often poses ethical dilemmas. These may arise either where research subjects are deceived or where the published findings might adversely affect the subjects. There is no entirely satisfactory way to deal with these issues, but all researchers must be sensitive to the dilemmas they pose.