Deck 4: D: Research,methodology,and Ethics

Question 1

The text states that interviews are "imbued with relations of power." Discuss what this means,and what researchers can do to address the unequal power relation.

Answer 1

At the outset of an interview,there is an unequal relationship between interviewer and interviewee.Those who conduct the interviews and subsequently analyze and report the data are in a position to select what is studied (setting the scene for what knowledge is produced),who is studied (who is given a voice,which persons or groups can be learned about),which data are reported (the researcher ultimately sets the direction of the public presentation of new knowledge),how the data are reported (another issue of "voice" concerning whether amalgamated data,summaries of people's experiences,or actual interview excerpts are presented),and so forth.All of these aspects of research involve the exercise of power and ultimately influence what is "knowable."
In the context of the interview relationship,the interviewer is the "taker" while the interviewee is the "giver." Many researchers are aware of this unequal power relation and attempt to work through the complexities of the interview process in as equitable a manner as possible.
For example,giving some consideration to interview location,time,initial questions,presentation of self (appearance,introduction),etc.

Question 2

Discuss how four of the six different theoretical perspectives-functional,conflict,symbolic interactionist,feminist,and queer theory-would approach research on families in Canada and the types of research questions or topics that would make sense within that particular paradigm.

Answer 2

A researcher working from a functionalist perspective is interested in the smooth functioning of society-for example,how roles and shared values promote equilibrium.A functionalist,then,may be concerned with how families socialize children into their appropriate societal roles and may pose the following research question: What are the consequences of changing family forms for the smooth running of society?
Conflict theorists,on the other hand,are concerned with the struggle over scarce resources by different groups in society and how elites control the less powerful.Therefore,a conflict theorist may be interested in how families cope with current economic strains.Researchers working from this perspective may be interested in examining government and corporate policies that disadvantage families by privatizing or withdrawing particular social supports.
Symbolic interactionism,on the other hand,is a microsociological perspective;researchers working from this approach would therefore ask different kinds of questions.Symbolic interactionists are interested in face-to-face encounters and the meanings that people use to facilitate social life.Working from this perspective,a researcher may be interested in how immigrant families negotiate their sense of identity in their new surroundings.
While no unified feminist theory exists,feminist researchers are generally interested in examining issues pertaining to gender and inequality.For example,a researcher may wish to examine Canadian child-rearing practices to determine whether they promote gender equality or inequality.A feminist researcher may also investigate the incidence of family violence as a gendered issue in Canadian families.
Queer theorists are interested in troubling-that is,problematizing-taken-for granted concepts such as the term normal.They seek to expose these concepts as socially constructing and as regulatory.Researchers who approach their topics using queer theory may wish to question the idea of what constitutes a "normal" family by investigating a variety of family forms.

Question 3

Discuss the differences between the quantitative and qualitative approaches to social research,and give an example of each type of research.

Answer 3

Conducting and analyzing research quantitatively involves converting aspects of social life into numbers and determining whether a significant relationship exists between sets of numbers.For instance,each answer checked off on a questionnaire can be converted to a numerical form and analyzed.One person's Answer:Answers can then be compared with another person's on a range of variables.The people whose Answer:Answers can be compared will likely be numerous since quantitative studies tend to have larger samples so that researchers can generalize from their findings.
Examples will vary by student.
Qualitative approaches do not involve the conversion of social life to numerical form;rather,the focus is on rich detail.Qualitative studies tend to have smaller samples than quantitative studies because they are,generally,more in-depth.Cost is a factor,too,as qualitative studies tend to be more expensive to carry out,especially on a large scale.In qualitative studies,the researchers themselves are the research instruments.Qualitative approaches use interviewing and observation as the main techniques of data collection.For example,in interview-based studies,researchers conduct interviews with participants,but also make observations about feelings,moods,location,body language,and so forth,of both the participants and themselves.These observations are just as valuable as the interview transcripts in terms of being considered viable data.
Examples will vary by student.

Question 4

Compare and contrast content analysis and secondary analysis and give an example of each.

Question 5

According to your textbook,there are seven steps to follow in the research process when designing and carrying out a study.Describe each step in turn.

Question 6

Researchers wish to investigate how Canadian families are coping in these difficult economic times.They decide to contact 100 families and interview the individuals who identify themselves as "the head of the household." They then ask those individuals questions regarding how their families earn money,pay bills,take care of household chores,etc.Using Eichler's seven distinct problems of sexism in social research,construct an essay pointing out the potential problem areas of this study.

Question 7

Suppose you are interesting in the reasons why young people join gangs and want to conduct a study on the social factors contributing to gang membership.Which sociological method or methods (surveys,interviews,participant observation,content analysis,secondary analysis,participatory action research)would you use,given this particular geographical context and research population? Explain your choice with reference to the weaknesses of the methods you did not choose.

Question 8

What ethical guidelines did Milgram's study contravene? In your opinion,did the benefits outweigh the risks given what we learned from this study? Why or why not?

Question 9

Explain the differences between validity and reliability,and then explain how they are also interconnected.