Sociological Research Methods

Sociological research techniques, ethics, perspectives and cultural diversity while conducting social research. In order to successfully utilize the three main sociological perspectives which we learned during week one (structural-functionalism, social conflict, and symbolic interactionism) we must understand the techniques used and culture being studied. Furthermore, there are several important details to consider before conducting research, such as the approach taken, the method utilized, and ethical concerns surrounding the society and its culture. While there are several methods that can employ unique techniques to approach researching, there are strengths and weaknesses to each method. The main research techniques use a more systematic
First the options of data collection are quantitative, qualitative, or by participant observation. While quantitative data will provide much of the statistics and numerical analysis behind the research, the qualitative data will provide a deeper understanding behind the reasons, opinions, and motives of a society. Although participant observation produces findings very similar as the qualitative method, it does have its own benefits that are not seen with strictly qualitative research. Participant observation has an even more micro perspective of study to give an even better and more intimate understanding of the society by closely observing small social groups. While causation in society is quite difficult to obtain during research due to its nature, causation is the change in a variable directly caused by another variable without other influences; correlation is far easier to explain because the change of one variable can be related to the change of other variables that influence the change in the main variable. Subsequently, all three methods have the purpose of discovering the correlation and/or causation of unexplained social
Additionally, in order to help the decision of which research method should be used, one must take into account the cultural values, beliefs, practices, artifacts, and history behind a society. Once the study is completed and the theory is presented, it must maintain the research ethics in order for the theory to be recreated, questioned, and peer reviewed to either reinforce the ideology of the theory or to dismiss the theory due to possible flaws such as to much bias or not the correct perspective that resulted in the final