Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
DR HUMA BAQAI
2 hourlies (1 theoretical, one research draft) 4 lab sessions for SPSS Research Project to be carried out and completed by the end of the semester, in teams or individually, in lieu of final exam Recommended Text:
o
Bryman, Alan. Social Science Research, third edition (available in the library)
All students must come to class having completed the assigned reading and prepared to contribute meaningfully to the class discussion based on what they have read. By the end of this semester you will be able to design your own research project, carry it out and discuss yours--and others'--research
The Social Sciences are a branch of knowledge concerned with the systematic study of human life.
o
human individuals, groups and their interactions form the main subject of inquiry for the various social sciences.
Thus, any discipline which deals with the social and cultural aspect of human behaviour can be termed a social science. Examples of disciplines within the social sciences include:
Economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, psychology o Each discipline has its own rich history and particular lens with which to understand the human condition
o
'Science' is a term used to refer to a reliable body of knowledge which can be logically and rationally explained.
Like the natural sciences, social science too follows the Scientific Method. Scientific inquiry must be:
Consistent Observable
Pertinent Parsimonious
Falsifiable Generalizable
Reproducible
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Background Research Formulate a Hypothesis Test the Hypothesis and Analyse the Data Draw A Conclusion Repeat if necessary
a.
Hypotheses can often be wrong. If so, its time to go back to the drawing board and start again!
While social science also adheres to the scientific method more commonly associated with natural sciences like chemistry or biology, there must necessarily be several basic differences because of the nature of the subject of inquiry Human subjects cannot be studied the exact same way as non-living or inanimate objects Hence, social science too must adapt the scientific mode of inquiry to suit the subject
to
prove
theories
are
Less control over external variables: all raw data must be collected "in the field" Humans are self-aware and adapt their behaviour and thought as they see fit Internal thought processes can only be judged by external indicators The researcher is as human as his/her subject
the Scientific Method took place over questions of objectivity and empiricism. Early social scientists like Emile Durkheim, August Comte, up to Talcott Parsons, believed that the researcher and the subject of research can stay independent of one another, and there are observable, universal laws of human behaviour. These views were later rejected by post-positivists, who believe that human knowledge is not based on unchallengeable, rock-solid foundations, but rather upon human conjectures. This divide still informs methodological options in social research today
Positivism
August Comte: founder of positivist social science.
phenomena we experience It is impossible to scientifically discuss that which we cannot physically observe and measurehence anything beyond that is unknowable
Emotions, thoughts, beliefs, attitudes are not directly observable or measurable. Positivists placed them beyond the realm of the knowable
emphasis on only observable phenomena Critical realism: there is a reality independent of our observation of it that science can study Constructivism: we each construct our view of the world based on our perceptions of it. Both perception and observation, and hence our constructions, are usually imperfect. Human bias is hence always to be expected, even in researchers. Objectivity is not achieved individually; it is an inherently social phenomenon. Hence critique and academic reviews become important
approach to the reality your research seeks to describe Figuring out your stance on the divide (most social scientists today acknowledge the importance of postpositivism) Can often influences whether your research will be more quantitative or qualitative Influences the questions you ask, how you ask them, and the methods you choose for your analysis Qualitative/Quantitative Approaches
The quantitative/qualitative divide is the most important disciplinary issue in social research methodology. It also distinguishes social science disciplines from one another Quantitative Methods: Structured Interviews, Surveys, Dataset Analysis, Mathematical Models Qualitative Methods: Ethnography, Participant Observation, Oral Histories