In general, sociologists tend to conduct their research outside the confines of the laboratory. The reasons for this are somewhat obvious; sociologists study society and relationships within society, and in order to effectively study and understand human nature in its natural environment, it is necessary to conduct research outside the laboratory and directly in the society. Sociologists still conduct research in a lab, however, but the risk of creating artificial environments and thus obtaining unrealistic results is so great, that many sociologists have opted to research outside the lab, a process also known as qualitative or field research. While there are many pros and cons to field research, most sociologists consider this method an excellent and necessary way to effectively study society. …show more content…
Perhaps the greatest contribution field research has made to the field of sociology is the ability it gives sociologists to study society without the potential risk of participants behaving in an unnatural manner; a phenomenon commonly referred to as the Hawthorne effect. While the Hawthorne Effect still might occur in field research, the chances are significantly lower than in laboratory experiments because generally (depending on the mode of field research used) the participants are unaware that they are being studied (“Why Some Sociologists Choose Not to Use Experiments When Conducting Research,” 2012). Thus, the results obtained from this type of research are often a more true representation of realistic situations and behaviors instead of data whose results potentially do not represent the wider population, as could be the case in laboratory experiments. In essence, field research is critical to sociology because it generally permits sociologists to study society without the risk of atypical behavior on behalf of the participants
Sample answer: Sociologists may appear to study conditions that are obvious, but by making the familiar strange, they are able to move beyond commonsense reasoning and use evidence to really understand a topic. For example, students will say that they plan to marry for love, but society narrows the field; they are more likely to marry individuals of the same race, ethnicity, age, educational attainment, and social class. Making the familiar unfamiliar also helps to explain how society shapes our
Additionally, laboratory experiments in social research can cause the Hawthorne effect which can reduce the validity of the research and also make them seem undesirable. The Hawthorne effect is when the presence of a researcher changes the behaviour of the group that is being studied. The participants are not showing their true behaviour and one reason why they may be altering their behaviour when in the presence of a researcher is because they think that they have guessed what the researcher is studying and therefore wants to help them with their research by acting in the way that they think the researcher wants to see. Their assumptions though are not always correct.
Sociologists are people who are fascinated with the study of doings of men. A sociologist goes through the world of men without respect for the usual lines of demarcation. We could say that the sociologist is the man who must listen to gossip. What interest sociologist are the curiosity that grips any in front of a closed door which behind are human voices. A sociologist will occupy himself with matters that others refer as too sacred or as too unpleasant for emotionless investigation. In these travels through the world of men, a sociologist will naturally experience other professional Peeping Toms. In some places the sociologist will meet up with the economist, political scientist, psychologist or the ethnologist. Most of the time a sociologist
Sociologists develop theories to explain and analyze society at different levels and from different perspectives. Sociologists study everything from the micro level of analysis of small social patterns to the “big picture” which is the macro level of analysis of large social patterns.
Sociological imagination is the study of society on a micro or macro scale. The term was first used by an American sociologist C. wright mills (1916-1962). This unique quality of thinking allows a person or a group to think or feel about society in general around us or in relation to a larger group to emphasize the connection between personal and structural (group) issues or trends. In other words, a sociologist tries to understand why things are the way they are.
In the social science of Sociology, the study of social behavior, it is important to remain unbiased and objective. The main method sociologist use to remain unbiased is sociological imagination. Using this method, sociologists are mindful of their connection to society. The fundamental focus of sociological imagination is to be objective they perceive and analyze the group or society as a foreigner. According to Schaefer (2016), “sociological imagination allows us to go beyond personal experiences and observations to understand broader public issues” (p. 5). By allowing oneself to view very personal issues, like anxiety or divorce, and apply them to the whole society and observe the effects, one can get a better understanding of society and
A key part of engaging in sociology is to adopt a sociological viewpoint or 'think sociologically'. Etymologically, sociology is the 'study of society' but this doesn't differentiate sociology from other forms of social study. Hence, many begin to describe thinking sociologically by what it is not - it is not thinking politically, thinking anthropologically, thinking historically or thinking psychologically, for example (Berger 1966: 11-36; Reiss 1968: 2-3). Others try to determine the nature of sociological thinking by detailing practical phenomena which can be thought about such as social systems and their subsystems, social institutions and social structure, and social aggregates, relationships, groups and organisations (Reiss 1968: 1),
In Neil Postman’s short essay, “Social Science as Moral Theology,” he describes the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, not as sciences, but rather as “moral theology” and as “storytelling.” The authors of the textbook Sociology the Essentials would dispute these claims by arguing that social scientists are doing science with their work. In the third chapter labeled, “Doing Sociological Research” there is a section called “The Tools of Sociological Research” that goes into detail of all the different ways sociologists can gather research.
Sociology is the systemic study of human society and social interaction. Sociologists study human societies and their social interactions in order to develop theories of how human behavior is shaped by group life and how, in turn, group life is affected by individuals (Kendall, 4). The movie Crash (Haggis, 2005), is full of many sociological issues, such as race, social class, and gender. Crash makes you see how group life is affected by individuals and how human behavior is shaped by group life.
In the “Thinking like a sociologist” video, the speaker, Robert Van Krieken, mentions about studying sociology “in much more complexed, nuanced, and interesting ways” to see people and environment (Thinking like a sociologist, 2016). A sociologist could think about the meaning of the genders or gender identity from the older times. He mentions that you could try to discover what is really happening. Sociology is a way that you think of what you are, the environment, and other people’s
I agree with the thinking of W.E.B. Du Bois in that sociologists should use their research on society to help fix the problems within society. They can observe interactions from both sides of a conflict and understand how and why the sides feel the way that they do. They also do research trying to find out what makes society “tick” and the information gathered can be used to aide in our understanding society and the people around us. In today’s times I think that sociologists are just as important as ever. We still have a limited view of our place in society and we have problems in our society that we, with our limited view, can not fix on our own. To fix our problems we need sociologists and their research to help us find the best solution.
Experimental field studies involve the manipulation of potentially causal elements, or factors (Sasso et al., 1992). They are hybrid studies that borrow methodological ideology from both descriptive research and laboratory experiments. Since they involve the manipulation of contextual elements, they can isolate casual relations, but similar to the descriptive method, they take place in a natural setting. Consequently, field
The main focus of a sociologist is to figure out how people were developed and how they maintain. When you’re on the job, like many jobs there are hazards that you may face. As a sociologist you have many clients that go through or experience many things. All clients are different as you know, because there’s no one in this world the same. Your clients may have have a bad day and take their anger out on you as their blame.
I have always found sociology both practically relevant and intellectually stimulating to study. The interdisciplinary nature of my undergraduate study has empowered me to not only acquire sociological knowledge but also apply them in real life. My experience, therefore, is quite suitable for the field of research.
Social science, and research thereof does not occur within a vacuum – Sociologists, like everyone else, are human beings and hold their own unique ideas of norms and values. If everyone in society were to follow their own unique morals and norms, then humanity would descend into a state of chaos and normlessness. To prevent such anarchy, a strict code of moral and ethical values are placed upon us by institutions such as the legal and education systems. We are socialized from birth to follow these rules and if we stray from them, we are punished for the good of humanity. Therefore, as sociologists are part of society, they too must follow ethics when conducting their research for the good of the discipline.