Theory and Research

1. Theory and Research Theory informs our research by: • Helping us identify our unit of analysis • Identifying the settings where we will observe our phenomenon • Identifying the independent and dependent variables • Identifying possible intervening factors • Identifying hypotheses and expected outcomes

2. Macrotheories • Macrotheory deals with large, aggregate entities of society or whole societies. • Struggle between economic classes, international relations

3. Microtheories • Microtheory deals with issues at the level of individuals and small groups. • Dating behavior, jury deliberations, student faculty interactions

4. Conflict Theory • Marx suggested social behavior could be seen as the process of conflict: • Attempt to dominate others. • Attempt to avoid domination.

5. Conflict Theory (another definition) • Identifies conflict between social groups as the primary force in society; understanding the bases and consequences of conflict is the key to understanding social processes.

6. Conflict Theory (another definition) • Weberian conflict theory identifies multiple bases of social stratification (class status, and power) and treats ideas as an important influence on the political and economic system

7. Symbolic Interactionism • Interactions revolve around individuals reaching understanding through language and other systems. • Can lend insights into the nature of interactions in ordinary social life.

8. Symbolic Interactionism (another definition) • Focuses on the symbolic nature of social interaction--how social interaction conveys meaning and promotes socialization.

9. Structural Functionalism • A social entity, such as an organization, can be viewed as an organism. • A social system is made up of parts, each of which contributes to the functioning of the whole. • This view looks for the “functions” served by the various components of society.

10. Functionalism (another definition) • A social theory that explains social patterns in terms of their consequences for society as a whole and emphasizes the interdependence of social institutions and their common interest in maintaining the social order.

11. Feminist Theory • Focuses on gender differences and how they relate to the rest of social organization. • Draws attention to the oppression of women in many societies, and sheds light on all kinds of oppression.

12. Grounded Theory • An inductive approach to the study of social life that attempts to generate a theory from the constant comparing of unfolding observations.

13. Linking Social Scientific Theory and Research • Deduction - Deriving expectations or hypotheses from theories. • Induction - Developing generalizations from specific observations.

14. Deductive Theory Construction • Pick a topic. • Specify a range: Will your theory apply to all of human social life, only certain ages? • Identify major concerns and variables. • Find out what is known about the relationships among the variables. • Reason from those propositions to the topic you are interested in.

15. Writing of the Research Proposal 8 central questions: what do we need to better understand your topic? what do we know little about in terms of your topic? What do you propose to study? What are the settings and people you will study? What methods do you plan to use to provide data? How will you analyze the data? What ethical issues, barriers, limitations will you face? What do preliminary results show about the practicality and value of your proposed study?

16. Begin with an outline I. Introduction: Statement of the problem Purpose of the study Research question Hypotheses/Predictions II. Review of the literature: What we already know Why the question is interesting Previous methods and findings Gaps, limitations, weaknesses III. Procedures/Methods: Description/validation of method choice Data collection procedures Types of data Sampling method Data Analysis IV. Significance of the Study V. Ethical considerations, Limitations, barriers, solutions VI. Preliminary Findings VII. Expected Outcomes

17. Readability • Consistent terms (concepts, var. names) • Moving from Big ideas to concrete examples • Coherence (from ¶ to ¶; section to section) • Grammar • Style

18. Writing the Research Paper “A good dramatic story sets up an equation and solves it.” Interesting question – believable resolution

19. Structure of a good story ACT I: • a) Exposition • b) Inciting incident ACT II: • a) Complication: • b) Crisis: • c) Decision: ACT II: • a) Resolution • b) Epilogue

20. Structure of a good paper ACT I: INTRODUCTION • a) Exposition: (Background info) • b) Inciting incident: (The problem) ACT II: LITERATURE AND METHODS SECTION • a) Complication: (Competing explanations) • b) Crisis: (the unanswered question) • c) Decision: (methods of answering/solving question) ACT II: CONCLUSION • a) Resolution: (the answer) • b) Epilogue: (qualifications)

21. Structure, Structure, Structure • Introduction • Literature Review • Methods Section • Expected Results, problems, limitations

22. The Introduction • The narrative hook • Identify the problem • Studies that have addressed problem • Deficiencies in these studies • Importance of current study