Sociological research methods-
The academic journal
● Publishes peer-reviewed scientific research article
○ Uses scientific methods
● General layout
○ Literature review- prior research, theoretical frame, research
questions
● Methods
○ How you answer
● Findings
○ State what you found
● Discussion
○ Discuss details of what you found
● Conclusion
○ Tie back to lit review, suggest future research
Theorizing the social world
● Theory
○ Scientific tool to frame focus
■ Sociologist use to systematically analyze and interpret data
Early sociological theorists
● Auguste Comte ( 1798-1857 )
○ Invented the term sociology in 1838, believed in positivism and social
facts
● Harriet Martineau ( 1802-1876 )
○ Womens rights, emancipation of slaves, religous tolerance
● Herbert Spencer ( 1802-1903 )
○ Social darwinism
○ Evolution of intellect / the social
● Karl Marx
○ Interested in economy and capitalism
■ Capitalism: Economic system with two classes
● Bourgeois- factory owners
● Proletariat- the workers
○ Workers knowingly exploited and experience
alienation
● False consciousness- erroneous set of belief
● Class concussion- prerequisite to revolutionary action
, ● Max Weber
○ Interested in economy and religion
■ The protestant work ethic and the spirit of capitalism
● Protistant ethic- belief in hard work and frugality
○ Led to the capitalism in west; not other areas of
the world
○ Modernity, capitalism, religion fusion
● Rationalization- social structures maximize efficiency
○ Assembly line; raw materials transformed into
products
■ Iron cage- constrained human existence
● Emile Durkheim
○ Functionalism
■ Suicide- suicide not individule but social
■ Social facts- structures, norms, and values control people
● Esoistic- isolation
● Altruistic- to get rid of a whole ( suicide bomber )
● Anamic- caused by drastic change
■ Collective conscious- shared beliefs of a society
■ Anomie- state of normlessness, the biggest modern problem
● Georg Simmel ( 1858-1918 )
○ Forms of social interaction, types of people
■ subordinates/superiors
■ Strangers
● W.E.B Du Bois ( 1868- 1963 )
○ Double-consciousness: Black Americans have a sense of being both
black ( outside dominant ) in white American society and being
american.
● Thorstien Veblen ( 1857-1929 )
○ Conspicuous consumption- the way upper classes show off wealth.
Theories-
Functionalism
● Main ideas:
○ Parts of society have necessary functions to create stability
○ Functions may be-
■ Manifest- planned
■ Latent- unintended
■ Dysfunctional
● Main criticisms:
○ Some claims abstract, difficult to test
○ Can't explain social change
○ Assumes conflict harmful
The academic journal
● Publishes peer-reviewed scientific research article
○ Uses scientific methods
● General layout
○ Literature review- prior research, theoretical frame, research
questions
● Methods
○ How you answer
● Findings
○ State what you found
● Discussion
○ Discuss details of what you found
● Conclusion
○ Tie back to lit review, suggest future research
Theorizing the social world
● Theory
○ Scientific tool to frame focus
■ Sociologist use to systematically analyze and interpret data
Early sociological theorists
● Auguste Comte ( 1798-1857 )
○ Invented the term sociology in 1838, believed in positivism and social
facts
● Harriet Martineau ( 1802-1876 )
○ Womens rights, emancipation of slaves, religous tolerance
● Herbert Spencer ( 1802-1903 )
○ Social darwinism
○ Evolution of intellect / the social
● Karl Marx
○ Interested in economy and capitalism
■ Capitalism: Economic system with two classes
● Bourgeois- factory owners
● Proletariat- the workers
○ Workers knowingly exploited and experience
alienation
● False consciousness- erroneous set of belief
● Class concussion- prerequisite to revolutionary action
, ● Max Weber
○ Interested in economy and religion
■ The protestant work ethic and the spirit of capitalism
● Protistant ethic- belief in hard work and frugality
○ Led to the capitalism in west; not other areas of
the world
○ Modernity, capitalism, religion fusion
● Rationalization- social structures maximize efficiency
○ Assembly line; raw materials transformed into
products
■ Iron cage- constrained human existence
● Emile Durkheim
○ Functionalism
■ Suicide- suicide not individule but social
■ Social facts- structures, norms, and values control people
● Esoistic- isolation
● Altruistic- to get rid of a whole ( suicide bomber )
● Anamic- caused by drastic change
■ Collective conscious- shared beliefs of a society
■ Anomie- state of normlessness, the biggest modern problem
● Georg Simmel ( 1858-1918 )
○ Forms of social interaction, types of people
■ subordinates/superiors
■ Strangers
● W.E.B Du Bois ( 1868- 1963 )
○ Double-consciousness: Black Americans have a sense of being both
black ( outside dominant ) in white American society and being
american.
● Thorstien Veblen ( 1857-1929 )
○ Conspicuous consumption- the way upper classes show off wealth.
Theories-
Functionalism
● Main ideas:
○ Parts of society have necessary functions to create stability
○ Functions may be-
■ Manifest- planned
■ Latent- unintended
■ Dysfunctional
● Main criticisms:
○ Some claims abstract, difficult to test
○ Can't explain social change
○ Assumes conflict harmful
