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Measuring Social Life

Measuring Social Life. Ch. 5, pp. 112-137. Measuring Social Life. Connecting the specifics you observe in the empirical world to an abstract idea you cannot see directly Inferring from this sample or measure to an entire population or to abstract ideas making generalizations. WHY MEASURE?.

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Measuring Social Life

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  1. Measuring Social Life Ch. 5, pp. 112-137

  2. Measuring Social Life • Connecting the specifics you observe in the empirical world to an abstract idea you cannot see directly • Inferring from this sample or measure to an entire population or to abstract ideas • making generalizations

  3. WHY MEASURE? • Measurement transforms our ideas and general observations into specific and concrete data • Measuring helps communicate thoughts and observations more effectively

  4. MAKING ASPECTS OF THE SOCIAL WORLD VISIBLE • Measurement extends the range of our senses • Scientific measurement produces a more accurate measure than ordinary experience, and it varies less with the specific observer • Measurement makes visible ideas that are otherwise unseen

  5. MEASURING with NUMBERS or WORDS • In all research, data is collected systematically • Depending on whether data are quantitative or qualitative, the process differs in 4 ways: • Timing • Direction • Data form • Linkages

  6. Two Parts of the Measurement Process • All measurement builds on two processes: • conceptualization • operationalization

  7. Conceptualization • conceptualization: "refining an idea by giving it a very clear, explicit definition" (117) • conceptual definition: "defining a variable or concept in theoretical terms with assumptions and references to other concepts" (118)

  8. Operationalization • operationalization: "the process of linking a conceptual definition with a specific set of measures" (117) • operational definition: "defining a concept as specific operations or actions that you carry out to measure it" (117)

  9. Quantitative Conceptualization & Operationalization • Measuring quantitative data flows in a 3-part sequence • conceptualization: think through the idea and create a conceptual definition • operationalization: link the conceptual definition to specific measurement procedures • measurement: apply the operational definition to collect the data

  10. The measurement process connects three levels of reality, from abstract to concrete: • conceptual, operational, and empirical • conceptual hypothesis: stating a hypothesis with the variables as abstract concepts • empirical hypothesis: the hypothesis stated in terms of specific measures of variables

  11. Racially biased policing: determinants of citizen perception • Whether a person is a member of the dominant or nondominant racial group • A person’s belief that the police are or are not racially biased • Number and type of experiences with the local police • Amount of exposure to media reports about police actions of corruption or brutality

  12. Fig. 5.1: Conceptualization & Operationalization: Abstract Construct to Concrete Measure Independent Variable Dependent Variable Hypothetical Abstract Construct Abstract Construct CausalRelationship theoretical level Conceptualization Conceptualization Conceptual Definition Conceptual Definition operational level Operationalization Operationalization Tested Empirical Hypothesis empirical level Indicator or Measure Indicator or Measure

  13. Qualitative Conceptualization and Operationalization • In qualitative research, you use basic working ideas during the data collection process, rethinking old ideas and developing new ideas based on observations • Qualitative measurement is integrated with other parts of a study

  14. Naturalization of white culture? • naturalization means that a culture—a set of values, outlooks, assumptions—is so fully taken for granted that it becomes invisible • white culture is a culture associated with the white racial group

  15. HOW TO CREATE GOOD MEASURES: Reliability & Validity • reliability: a feature of measures—the method of measuring is dependable and consistent • validity: a feature of measures—the concept of interest closely matches the method used to measure it • you are actually measuring what you say you are measuring

  16. Measurement validity is the fit between conceptual & operational definitions • Three types of measurement validity • face validity • content validity • criterion validity

  17. Putting Reliability and Validity Together • Reliability is a necessary but not sufficient condition for validity  You can have a reliable measure that is invalid

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