SAMPLE Sociology

‭Emphasizes the application of‬ ‭social‬ ‭research‬ ‭to solve social problems & to‬ ‭support economic & social change.‬ ‭Based on the understanding that social‬ ‭phenomena are shaped by forces of‬ ‭power & inequality.‬

‭Focuses on using both‬ ‭quantitative‬ ‭&‬ ‭qualitative‬ ‭data to identify & understand‬ ‭the patterns of power & oppression in‬ ‭order to promote equality & justice in‬ ‭society.‬

‭Critical Sociology‬

‭Example‬ ‭A‬ ‭sociologist‬ ‭who‬ ‭wants‬ ‭to‬ ‭investigate‬ ‭why‬ ‭young,‬ ‭low-income‬ ‭people‬ ‭do‬ ‭not‬ ‭vote.‬ ‭A‬ ‭positivist‬ ‭sociologist‬ ‭would‬ ‭search‬ ‭for‬ ‭an‬ ‭outside‬ ‭factor‬ ‭to‬ ‭blame‬ ‭for‬ ‭this.‬ ‭Is‬ ‭this‬ ‭a‬ ‭result‬ ‭of‬ ‭younger,‬ ‭low-income‬‭people‬‭being‬‭less‬‭educated‬‭and,‬‭hence,‬‭less‬‭likely‬‭to‬‭follow‬‭elections?‬‭An‬ ‭interpretive‬ ‭sociologist‬ ‭would‬‭consider‬‭how‬‭those‬‭who‬‭do‬‭not‬‭vote‬‭view‬‭the‬‭world‬‭in‬‭which‬‭they‬‭live.‬‭Does‬‭that‬ ‭group‬ ‭of‬ ‭people‬ ‭in‬ ‭society‬ ‭not‬ ‭value‬ ‭voting?‬ ‭A‬ ‭critical‬ ‭sociologist‬ ‭would‬ ‭want‬ ‭to‬ ‭know‬ ‭how‬ ‭we‬ ‭might‬ ‭utilize‬ ‭that‬ ‭information‬ ‭to‬ ‭persuade‬ ‭that‬ ‭group‬ ‭of‬ ‭people‬ ‭to‬‭vote‬‭more,‬‭not‬‭only‬‭why‬‭they‬ ‭aren’t voting.‬ ‭B. The Scientific Method‬ ‭Sociologists‬‭use‬‭the‬ ‭scientific‬‭method‬ ‭to‬‭study‬‭human‬‭behavior‬‭and‬‭social‬‭phenomena,‬‭which‬‭involves‬ ‭observation,‬‭measurement,‬‭experimentation,‬‭and‬‭hypothesis‬‭formulation.‬‭This‬‭approach‬‭can‬‭be‬‭adapted‬ ‭depending‬‭on‬‭the‬‭research‬‭question‬‭and‬‭context.‬‭It‬‭is‬‭based‬‭on‬‭collecting‬‭firsthand‬‭knowledge‬‭through‬ ‭methods‬‭like‬‭surveys,‬‭interviews,‬‭and‬‭experiments.‬‭Sociologists‬‭then‬‭use‬‭this‬‭data‬‭to‬‭answer‬‭questions,‬ ‭analyze trends, and support or reject hypotheses about‬ ‭social variables‬ ‭.‬ ‭There are six main steps in the scientific method.‬ ‭1.‬ ‭Formulate a specific research question.‬ ‭2.‬ ‭Research existing sources.‬ ‭3.‬ ‭Develop a hypothesis (testable explanation).‬ ‭4.‬ ‭Test the hypothesis by conducting research (which may support or reject the hypothesis).‬ ‭5.‬ ‭Draw conclusions based on the research findings.‬ ‭6.‬ ‭Publish the research findings and make the information available to others.‬

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