ethnographic observations and interviews. By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to conduct their own sociological research and evaluate existing ...
Sociology 313: Sociological Research Methods Spring 2014 Class Meetings: Mon. & Wed. 2:00-3:20 PM Classroom: KAP 305 Professor: Jennifer Rosen Office: HSH 306 Office Hours: Wed. 11:30-1:30 & by Appointment Contact:
[email protected]
TA: Joy Lam Office: Dohney Library Literatea Cafe Office Hours: Mon: 11-12.30 & 3.30-4:45 Contact:
[email protected]
Course Description The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the methodologies sociologists use to collect data. This course is divided into two parts. In the first part, we will focus on social inquiry by discussing why research is needed, how it is useful, and how it is related to sociological theory. We will also address the structure of the research design process, concept measurement, and sampling. Throughout the second half of the semester, we will conduct in-depth examinations of different methodological approaches and look at examples of published research using each method. This class is different from many of your other classes in that it is focused primarily on acquiring and practicing techniques and skills. Students will conduct interviews & ethnographic field research, analyze survey data, and engage with a variety of different types of qualitative and quantitative data. At the same time, though, we will spend a considerable amount of time (especially in the first weeks of the course) considering and discussing the logic of theory construction and research design: which methods are appropriate to which questions? How should social reality be measured? How are theoretical concepts operationalized? What are the ethical issues involved? What is objectivity in the social sciences? How are trends and techniques in sociological research methodology adapting to our increasingly digital, globalized world? As the methodologies you will learn here have a wide application across a variety of professional contexts, this core class is one of the most important classes you will take as a sociology major. Although professional work often requires graduate degrees, the skills and perspectives you can develop in SOCI 313 are the foundation of any more advanced techniques in the social sciences. Familiarity with them will be assumed in graduate research methods classes, and most job settings in the social sciences.
Course Objectives Students will learn to develop research questions and will understand the principles of conceptualization, measurement, sampling, and causality. This intensive course will provide introductory training in data collection, management, and processing. Students will develop their own survey, analyze existing survey data, conduct content analysis, and carry out
ethnographic observations and interviews. By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to conduct their own sociological research and evaluate existing research. After completing this course, students should:
Be familiar with and able to use the language of sociological research Understand research ethics applicable to social science research Understand the basics of research design, concept measurement, and sampling Understand the basics of survey research Be able to understand and conduct basic sociological field research Be able to understand and conduct basic content analysis Have developed writing skills essential to social research
Course Requirements and Grading Required Materials Nearly all of the readings required for this class are found in: Earl Babbie. 2012. The Practice of Social Research (13rd Edition). Wadsworth Publishing Co. Emerson, Fretz, and Shaw. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. University of Chicago Press. You should carefully read each chapter before we discuss it in-class. Doing so will make the lectures and labs much easier to follow. Additional required journal articles that are listed on the syllabus will be posted on Blackboard.
Attendance/Participation (10%) We will be covering a large amount of material over a short amount of time. Additionally, each new method we learn is based on previously covered concepts. In the interest of a productive and interesting learning environment, you are expected to attend all scheduled classes and be prepared to participate (do the readings!). Each lecture and lab session will provide you new information and examples of how the concepts really work. Your attendance and participation grade will be based on a combination of daily attendance and completion of in-class assignments throughout the semester. Points will be deducted from your attendance/participation grade after two unexcused absences. If you have more than 5 unexcused absences, you will lose all attendance/participation points. Generally, an absence will only be excused for university approved activities, required court appearances, religious holidays of your faith, and medical emergencies.
Civility: We hope this goes without saying, but it is important that we treat each other with respect so that everyone feels free to express their viewpoint and ask questions during class without fear of incivility or rudeness from others. Expressing disrespect and intolerance towards others will not be tolerated. If you do not feel comfortable discussing any of the topics in this course, please come talk to me privately. Technology: Cell phones are strictly prohibited in class. Make sure all ringers are turned off before entering the classroom. Computers may be used to take notes or work on in-class assignments only. Please do not email or browse the internet during class. While you may think you are being subtle, it is very obvious from the professor and TA’s perspectives when students are doing this. After one warning, ringing cell phones and web browsing will result in the reduction of your final grade. Exams (10% each) There will be two in-class exams and one final exam. Each will account for ten percent of your grade. Only the final exam will be cumulative. Homework Assignments (10% each) There will be three homework assignments that will each account for ten percent of your grade. These homework assignments will require you to construct a research hypothesis and then conduct specific research methodologies in order to analyze your research problem. Research Project (30%) Throughout the course of the semester you will learn several different methods of collecting and analyzing data. You will be required to construct an elementary research project, collect original data, and analyze that data in a research paper. There will be three related research memos (5% each) due throughout the semester, culminating in a final research paper (15%) based of the analysis of your research. You are encouraged to come to office hours in the first few weeks of the semester to finalize your research topic. Extra Credit Towards the end of the semester you will have the opportunity to earn extra credit by presenting your research paper to the class. The extra credit assignment will be discussed in more detail during the semester. Late Work Policy Unless you have arranged with me before the due date of the assignments, you should turn your assignments in by the beginning of class on the day it is due. Late assignments will be docked one full grade for every 48 hours that they are late. No assignments will be accepted after 1 week past the due date. No make-up exams will be offered except for students facing extraordinary situations that are outside of their control.
Your final grade will be calculated as follows: Requirement
Percentage of Final Grade
Attendance and Participation Three In-Class Exams (10% each) Three Homework Assignments (10% each) Research Project
10% 30% 30% 30%
TOTAL
100%
Services for Students with Disabilities Please talk to me privately if there is anything that may adversely affect your ability to complete course requirements so that we may discuss reasonable accommodations. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to your course instructor (or TA) as early in the semester as possible. The DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Website and contact information for DSP:http://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/home_index.html (213) 740-0776 (Phone); (213) 740-6948 (TDD only); (213) 740-8216 (FAX);
[email protected]
Statement on Academic Integrity USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General Principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, The Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: http://usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/ Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further review should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at: http://usc.edu/studentaffaris/SJACS/ Information on intellectual property at USC is available at: http://usc.edu/academe/acsen/issues/ipr/index.html
Summary of Assignments and Due Dates Jan. 27 Feb. 10 Feb. 12 Feb. 24 Mar. 12 Mar. 31 Apr. 9 Apr. 21 May 9 May 12
Research Memo #1 Due Homework #1 Due Exam I Research Memo #2 Due Homework #2 Due Exam II Research Memo #3 Due Homework #3 Due Research Paper Due Final Exam
Course Outline* WEEK 1 Mon, Jan. 13 Wed, Jan. 15
WEEK 2 Mon, Jan. 20 Wed, Jan. 22
WEEK 3 Mon, Jan. 27
Wed, Jan. 29
WEEK 4 Mon, Feb. 3
Wed, Feb. 5 WEEK 5 Mon, Feb. 10
Introduction to the Course Research Ethics READING: Babbie 61-72
NO CLASS -- MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY Paradigms, Theory, and Social Research READING: Babbie Ch. 1 & 2
Research Design: Unit of Analysis READING: Babbie Ch.4 Research Memo #1 Due: Defining your Research Problem Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Measurement READING: Babbie Ch. 5
Research Design: Measuring Concepts and Creating Indexes READING: Babbie Ch. 6 AND Paxton (2000), Women’s Suffrage in the Measurement of Democracy: Problems of Operationalization Literature Review Construction: Special Office Hours (No Class)
REVIEW FOR EXAM I: Research Design: Contemporary Ethical & Practical Issues Homework 1 Due
Wed, Feb. 12 WEEK 6 Mon, Feb. 17
EXAM I: Research Design, Ethics, and Epistemology
Wed, Feb. 19
The Logic of Sampling READING: Babbie Ch. 7
WEEK 7 Mon, Feb. 24
Wed, Feb. 26
WEEK 8 Mon, Mar. 3
Wed, Mar. 5
WEEK 9 Mon, Mar. 10
Wed, Mar. 12
NO CLASS -- PRESIDENT’S DAY
Survey Research READING: Babbie Ch. 9 Research Memo #2 Due: Situating your Research Problem in the Literature Writing Effective Questions and Administering Surveys READING: Schaeffer and Presser’s (2003) “The Science of Asking Questions.” AND Milkman, Gonzalez, and Narro’s (2010) “Wage Theft and Workplace Violations in Los Angeles (Pp. 10-16 and 60-63)
Introducing Qualitative Research & Interpretive Analysis READING: Babbie Ch. 10 Unobtrusive Research: Content Analysis & Comparative/Historical Research READING: Babbie Ch. 11 (skip pp. 342-348-- Analyzing Existing Statistics) AND Kubrin’s (2005) “Gangstas, Thugs, and Hustlas: Identity and the Code of the Street in Rap Music.”
Doing Ethnography READING: Emerson et al Ch. 1 AND Morris’ (2005) “Tuck in that Shirt! Race, Class, Gender and Discipline in an Urban School” Conducting Field Work READING: Emerson et al. Ch. 2 & 3
Homework 2 Due WEEK 10 Mon, Mar. 17
NO CLASS – SPRING RECESS
Wed, Mar. 19
NO CLASS – SPRING RECESS
WEEK 11 Mon, Mar. 24
Ethnography: Theory Driven Research READING: Emerson et al. Ch. 5 AND Young (2008) "White Ethnographers on the Experience of African American Men" AND McCorkel and Myers’ (2003) “What Difference Does Difference Make?”
Wed, Mar. 26
WEEK 12 Mon, Mar. 31 Wed, Apr. 2
WEEK 13 Mon, Apr. 7
Wed, Apr. 9
WEEK 14 Mon, Apr. 14
Wed, Apr 16
WEEK 15 Mon, Apr. 21
Wed, Apr. 23 WEEK 16 Mon, Apr. 28
Ethnography: From the Field to the Pages; EXAM II REVIEW SESSION READING: Emerson et al. Ch. 6-8
EXAM II Introduction to Quantitative Methods: Producing, Presenting, and Reading Data READING: Babbie pp. 342-349
Univariate Quantitative Analysis READING: Babbie Ch. 14 Multivariate Quantitative Analysis READING: Babbie Ch. 15 Research Memo 3 Due: Detailed Outline
Inferential and Descriptive Statistics READING: Babbie Ch. 16 Inferential and Descriptive Statistics READING: Selections from “Damned Lies and Statistics.” AND “Bad Statistics (http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2006/03/16/bad-statistics-usa-today/)
Student Research Presentations (Extra Credit) Homework 3 Due Student Research Presentations (Extra Credit)
Mixed Method Research and Intersectionality READING: Moore’s (2006) “Lipstick or Timberlands” AND Johnson and Onwuegbuzie’s (2004) “Mixed Methods Research”
Wed, Apr. 30
FINAL EXAM REVIEW
May 3-6
STUDY DAYS
FINAL RESEARCH PAPER DUE FRIDAY MAY 9 FINAL EXAM --- MONDAY MAY 12, 2-4PM *Syllabus may change at the professor’s discretion.
