15 Chapter 15: Sociological Research – How We Study Culture

Chapter Overview: 

This is a work in progress. This section aims not simply to apply the Scientific Method to sociological research but shape a scientific method tailored for sociological research. There is no cumulatively agreed-upon method, methodology, or procedure of research in sociology. This, again, is a longstanding debate. In addition, most aspects of the scientific method are improbable in the social sciences. While some modern sociology textbooks (e.g., Ritzer, 2013; Cumming, 2018) have adopted the Scientific Method, Steckley (2020) goes so far as to say that using this method can lead to “proof” in sociology (p. 38 – there is no such thing as “proof” in science, only scientific evidence (Siegel, 2017). Others (e.g., Quan-Haase & Tepperman, 2018) do not apply the Scientific Method and opt for a general research process. However, all sociology is technically historical. Thus, understanding how the present is shaped requires looking into the past.

The Social Imaginative Process that I am proposing focuses on the two central distinctive practices of sociology, the sociological imagination, and the sociological perspectives. Incorporating these ways of thinking and seeing brings the unique aspects of the sociological approach into a “method.” It is formulated around the equation SP + x = S (my placeholder name is “Ellwood’s Equation” or “Charles’s Equation” named after Charles Ellwood and Charles Wright Mills – the inspirations for it). SP is the Structural Problem (or question), S is the Solution (or answer), and the letter x is the variable to be solved. In this case, the x to be solved is the process of figuring out the who, what, why, when, and how (the “shaping questions”). Here is where you would implement quantitative and qualitative tools such as surveys, ethnography, etc. and the sociological perspectives. Rather than starting with a hypothesis (or argument/thesis), you start with the problem or question, solve x concerning the research process techniques you will use, and lead you to a solution, answer, or new direction. Hopefully, this does not sound like I am trying to reinvent the sociological wheel here. It is more of a reordering of existing tools and techniques.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the ethical issues associated with sociological research.
• Identify the different research tools and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
• Identify and give examples of the different types of sampling procedures.
• Describe the differences between participant observation, case studies, ethnography and secondary data analysis.
• Explain why triangulation is necessary in sociological research.
• Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative research.