Sociological Analysis (226-0-20)
Instructors
Karrie A Snyder
847/467-0517
1808 Chicago, Room 106
Dr. Snyder is a qualitative researcher and specializes in the areas of health, family, gender, youth studies and education.
Meeting Info
Kresge Cent. Hall 2-380 Kaplan: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
How do sociologists do their work? How do they make discoveries and draw conclusions about the social world around us? This course is an introduction to sociological research methods. We will learn how to design a research study - everything from choosing a topic and formulating a research question to developing a research plan. We will explore a range of research methods from surveys, interviewing, observational methods and content analysis to "big" data approaches. We will also think about the strengths and weaknesses of various sociological methods and what these methods can contribute to our understanding of the social world. We will also debate and discuss the role of the researcher in the research process along with thinking about ethical concerns and IRB protections for research subjects. We will also critically examine how social science research is presented to us in our everyday lives (including news reporting, political polls and social media postings). The goal of this course is for students to be able to design an appropriate methods plan to investigate a sociological research question they are interested in, but also to become more critical when learning about the latest social science study from media and social media outlets.
Learning Objectives
Describe the steps and fundamental concepts of research design in sociology.
Explain how sociologists use research methods in their work and illustrate how researchers use data to support their findings and conclusions.
Apply research methods concepts and analysis tools to real-world examples.
Distinguish the range of research methods sociologists use and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.
Practice various research methods and making sense of data.
Discuss the importance of IRB protocols and doing ethical research.
Develop an original research question and create an appropriate research design.
Teaching Method
Lecture, small group work, in-class exercises and activities
Evaluation Method
Exams/Essay, Participation/Attendance, Final Research Proposal
Class Materials (Required)
All materials for this course will be made available on Canvas - no purchase necessary.