THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

SOCI1001A Introduction to Sociology

2020-2021 First Semester

Topic 4: Asking sociological questions: Doing social research

- everyday thinking is limited because of unquestioned trust in authorities, unquestioned

acceptance of “common sense”, unquestioned acceptance of traditional beliefs,
generalisations based on personal experience, reliance on selective observation, and
biased observation and interpretation
- hence we need systematic social research to help answer sociological questions

Elements of social research

- identify patterns in social life
- collect empirical evidence: quantitative and qualitative data
- quantitative: operationalise variables (independent and dependent) to find their
correlation by using hypothesis
- qualitative: not in numbers, but descriptive and explanatory
- transparency of methods
- provisional knowledge

Types of research
- Positivist: aim to establish laws of human behaviour to predict and control human affairs;
emphasise value-neutrality and employ quantitative approach in research
- Durkheim: social facts as things
- Durkheim’s study on suicide
- Interpretive: aim to understand meaning of the social world given by people; employ
qualitative approach in research
- Weber: vestehen
- Weber’s Protestant Ethics and The Spirit of Capitalism
- Critical: aim to create knowledge to bring social change
- Marx and feminist studies

Theory and research

- theory highlights key research questions, explains collected data and establishes
connections
Research methods
- survey: to generalize patterns using mainly close-ended questions
- a sample is part of the population that represents the whole
- sampling methods: random, quota, stratified, convenience, and snowball
- key concerns: representativeness, validity, and reliability
- interviews: use open-ended to collect in-depth data
- focus group, biographical study, and oral history
- field research: researcher participates in the natural social setting to collect data
- existing sources: secondary data analysis and content analysis
- experiments

Research ethics
- no falsification of data
- integrity: prevent misrepresentation or manipulation of findings
- transparency of funding source and research methods
- protection of informants
- informed consent, privacy, risk avoidance and sensitivity to cultural diversity

Research Process
1. choose a topic
2. identify research question(s)
3. design the research (methods and procedures)
4. consider the ethical dimensions
5. collect and analyse data
6. report results

References:

Croteau, D. & Hoynes, W. 2020. Experience Sociology (4/e). New York: McGraw-Hill.
ch.1&2

Giddens, A. & Sutton, P.W. 2017. Sociology (8/e). Cambridge: Polity. ch.2

Pun, N. 2005. Made in China. Durham: Duke University press.

江紹褀 (Kong) 2014《男男正傳︰香港年長男同志⼝述史》。香港:進⼀步。

Crash Course Sociology: Emile Durkheim on Suicide and Society


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZfGGF-YYzY

Crash Course Sociology: Karl Marx and Conflict Theory


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR3igiwaeyc

The School of Life: Sociology, Max Weber


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICppFQ6Tabw