Lecture 4

Methods, Evidence, and Ethics in Sociology

Core Concept: This lecture introduces how sociologists use scientific methods to study the social world in an ethical manner, focusing on the "how" of sociology.

Key Bullet Points:

• Sociology as an evidence-based discipline.
• Overview of core research methods.
• The importance of ethics in research.

The Purpose of Sociological Research

Core Concept: Sociological research aims to move beyond common sense and provide evidence-based explanations for social phenomena.

Key Bullet Points:

• To test and refine sociological theories.
• To describe and document social life.
• To explain social patterns and their causes.
• To evaluate the impact of social policies.

Core Research Methods: An Overview

Core Concept: Sociologists use a variety of methods to study the social world, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Key Bullet Points:

• **Surveys:** Collecting data by having people answer a series of questions.
• **Observation:** Watching and recording behavior in a natural setting.
• **Participant Observation:** The researcher joins in with the group they are studying.
• **Interviews:** Asking people in-depth questions about their experiences and beliefs.
• **Experiments:** Testing a hypothesis under controlled conditions.

Surveys

Core Concept: Surveys are a common method for collecting data from a large number of people.

Key Bullet Points:

• Can be administered in person, by mail, by phone, or online.
• Good for gathering information on attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Requires a carefully selected, representative sample to be accurate.

Concrete Example: The U.S. Census is a massive survey that the government conducts every 10 years to collect data on the American population.

Observation and Participant Observation

Core Concept: Observation methods involve systematically watching people in their natural environment to gain an "insider's view."

Key Bullet Points:

• **Observation:** The researcher is a neutral observer and does not get involved.
• **Participant Observation:** The researcher becomes a part of the group they are studying.
• Provides rich, detailed, qualitative data.

Concrete Example: A sociologist might live with a homeless community for several months (participant observation) to understand their daily lives and challenges.

Interviews

Core Concept: Interviews allow researchers to gather in-depth, qualitative information about people's experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

Key Bullet Points:

• Can be structured (with a fixed set of questions) or unstructured (more like a conversation).
• Can be time-consuming to conduct and analyze.

Concrete Example: A researcher might conduct in-depth interviews with recent immigrants to understand their experiences of adapting to a new country.

Key Concepts in Measurement

Core Concept: For research to be scientific, its measurements must be reliable, valid, and replicable.

Key Bullet Points:

• **Reliability:** Consistency in measurement. If you measure the same thing again, will you get the same result?
• **Validity:** Accuracy in measurement. Are you actually measuring what you think you are measuring?
• **Replicability:** The ability for other researchers to repeat the study and get similar results.

Concrete Example: A bathroom scale is reliable if it gives you the same weight every time you step on it. It's valid if that weight is your actual weight.

The Importance of Research Ethics

Core Concept: Sociologists have an ethical obligation to protect the rights, privacy, and well-being of the people they study.

Key Bullet Points:

• Research should not cause physical, emotional, or social harm to participants.
• Participation should be voluntary and based on informed consent.
• The privacy and confidentiality of participants must be protected.

The "Do No Harm" Principle

Core Concept: The primary ethical rule in social research is to "do no harm," which includes not only physical harm, but also psychological distress, embarrassment, or damage to a person's reputation.

Key Bullet Points:

• Researchers must carefully consider the potential risks of their research and take steps to minimize them.

Concrete Example: The Stanford Prison Experiment is a famous example of a study that caused significant psychological distress to its participants and is now considered highly unethical.

Confidentiality and Anonymity

Core Concept: Protecting the identity of research participants is a key ethical requirement, and researchers must take practical steps to ensure it.

Key Bullet Points:

• **Confidentiality:** The researcher knows the identity of the participants but promises not to reveal it.
• **Anonymity:** The researcher does not know the identity of the participants.
• Data should be stored securely and identifying information should be removed as soon as possible.

Methods, Ethics, and Data Science

Core Concept: The principles of research methods and ethics are just as important in data science as they are in traditional sociology, as data is not always neutral or objective.

Key Bullet Points:

• **Data Quality:** Why data quality matters more than outcomes. "Garbage in, garbage out."
• **Bias:** How methodological choices can lead to biased data and misleading findings.
• **Privacy:** The ethical challenges of working with large datasets that may contain sensitive personal information.

Looking Ahead

Core Concept: In our final lecture of this unit, we will delve deeper into the concepts of power, inequality, and conflict in social systems.

Key Bullet Points:

• How is power distributed in society?
• Why is social inequality a persistent feature of all societies?
• How does conflict shape social life?