SOCI 2003B: Sociological Methods

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SOCI 2003BSociological Methods
Theory and Social Research
September 21, 2006

• Colleen Anne Dell, Ph.D.
• Carleton University, Department of Sociology
  Anthropology
• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
  

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OUTLINE

• 1.   The structure of social theory
• A. What is theory?  B. Terms used in the
  construction of theory  C. Three elements of
  theory  D. The role of hypotheses
•  
• 2. Deduction and induction The two systems
  of logic
•  

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• WORKSHOP
• Identification of research teams
• Guest Speakers Rachelle Larocque Simon
  Baldwin, 2005-06 course students Working with
  your research team

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1. THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIAL THEORY
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THE RESEARCH WHEEL

• THEORY
• INDUCTION
  DEDUCTION
• EMPRICAL
  HYPOTHESES
• GENERALIZATIONS
• MEASUREMENT
  OPERATIONALIZATION
• 
  OBSERVATION

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A. Theory

• A systematic set of interrelated statements
  intended to explain some aspect of social life.
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• A linking of facts that posit an explanation of
  social behaviour (B B).
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• A set of concepts bound together by explicit
  relationships and causal properties (Bernard and
  Ritti). 

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B. Terms Used in the Construction of Theory

• Observation
• Fact
• Law
• THEORY A linking of facts that posit an
  explanation of social behaviour.

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ANSWER FOR NEXT WEEK

• Your text discusses how a paradigm influences
  how and where a researcher looks for answers to
  important questions.  Consider the following
  research problem What causes a person to use
  illicit drugs?  Use two different paradigms to
  answer this research problem.  What types of
  questions would he or she ask? 

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C. 3 Elements of Theory

• Concepts  The building blocks of social theory
• Propositions  Statements about the relationships
  between concepts
• Contingency  Propositions must be testable to
  become a theory

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D. The role of hypotheses

• Hypothesis
• The formal statement of the implications that
  the theory holds for what may be observed if the
  theory is correct.

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2. DEDUCTION INDUCTION THE TWO SYSTEMS OF
LOGIC
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• When using induction. A researchers thinking
  runs from the specific observations made into
  general theory I have some interesting data
  here what are the data saying about human
  behaviour? (Marcionis, Nancarrow-Clarke, Gerber
  199755).

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• When using deduction. A researchers thinking
  is referred to as working downward in the
  scientific process, and runs from general theory
  into specific hypotheses appropriate for
  scientific testing I have this hunch about
  behaviour lets put it in a form we can test,
  collect some data, and see if it is correct.
  (Ibid).

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Grounded Theory (Glaser Straus)

• Begin constructing a theory through the inductive
  method by observing aspects of social life, and
  then seeking to discover patterns that may point
  to relatively universal principles.

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RESEARCH TEAMS
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GUEST SPEAKERS

• Rachelle Larocque Simon Baldwin,
• 2005-06 course students
• Working with your research team