How do we find the answers?

How do we find the answers?

Methodologies – collecting knowledge.

SO WHAT IS SOCIAL RESEARCH?

“Social research is a form of human communication in which we try and find out something about people and the way they interact with their environment

and each other”

CAMM CAMM AND GORDON, SOCIETY AND CULTURE IN A CHANGING WORLD

How Do We Research?

Question

Enquire

the world around us.

into people, cultures, value and beliefs

Process

series of steps which lead to a

better understanding of

specific aspects.

What do we already know? Knowledge and Experience

Public Knowledge

Personal Experience

The collection of knowledge assembled through resource

and analysis.

It is the knowledge found in books, lectures,

documentaries and computer technology.

Public knowledge is the knowledge you have learned

from consulting sources.

• The experiences you have as you grow and develop as a human

being.

• It requires you to think about who you are,

what you do, and why you are the way you are.

• Personal experience is knowledge gained from things you have actually

done.

Macro vs Micro Worlds?Terrorism? Changing families,

communities, environments?

The beginning of Iraq?How? & Why?

What impacts? Social? Environmental?

Cultural? Change? Conflict? Continuity?

Student at the crossroads

The socio-cultural impact of changing schools on my family.

Housing redevelopment? Changing neighbourhoods?

Macro vs Micro WorldMacro world research: - the

broad canvas of the whole of society.

Includes media, law, the government........

Micro world research: - the small-scale, the close –up view of society.

Includes peers, friends, family, school,

local community...........

Discussion

Why is Social and Cultural research important?

What process does it take?Where do we start?What worlds or environments can

we question?

Social and Cultural literacy Part of the Society and Culture Syllabus is the

‘development of student’s social and cultural literacy’ (BOS 1999:19)

So What is it? Social and Cultural Literacy involves the development

of social skills, knowledge and human values that cause or create the desire and ability to act positively and responsibly in range of complex social settings.

Achieving social and cultural literacy is a development process that requires us to synthesise personal experience and public knowledge of both the macro and micro worlds.

Social and Cultural Literacy

A Social and Cultural Literate Person :

Universal Declaration of Human rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a milestone document in the history of human rights – there are 30 articles in all.

Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations.

It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected. 

The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are entitled.

In 1976, the Bill took on the force of international law. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiFIu_z4dM8

DiscussionWhat is Social and Cultural

Literacy?

A person needs to have the ability to synthesise.....what aspects to be Socially and Culturally literate?

What characteristics does a socially and culturally literate person aspire to have?

Clearly define your topic or question. Try to be as specific as possible

Start planning. Break your research into manageable sections.

Set yourself achievable targets.

Start reading secondary research on your topic.

Choose your methodologies. Make sure they are appropriate.

Collect relevant facts

Organise and interpret all the data you have collected

Evaluate your methodologies and the way you have used them.

Present your findings using a variety of relevant forms of communication.

What Ethics are involved? Truth vs Loyalty do you tell the truth – or do

you remain loyal? Confidentiality – never

use names Safety – legal and social

dangers Sensitivity – towards

peoples experiences

Anti-social behaviour drug dealers, pornography

or anything threatening to your welfare

Combinations:Never directly ask: people how old they are.

How much money they earn

What political party they support

Always remain objective. This means understanding

your research from a veiw- point that disregards your own values and perspectives.

How do ethics effect my PIP?

There are many ethical issues that surround the use of both primary and secondary research. When working as a researcher with other people in either a formal or informal manner, it is important to explain to them the purpose of your research.

It is also important that they are left with a sense of how and where your research (that includes their opinions etc.) is going to be published.

To be an ethical researcher you must always source your resources through referencing and if necessary seek the permission of people to publish their thoughts and ideas.

Resources for ResearchPrimary Resource

Research you conduct yourself

Gain first hand information

Involves interaction with other people

Collecting data that does not already exist.

Secondary ResourceResearch

conducted by others

Builds upon the works of others

Public knowledgeProcessing data

that has already been collected

What is a methodology?Methodology is the conceptual, logical and

research procedures by which knowledge is developed.

Requires:Validity: if the research purpose is met well, it

actually measures what it is meant to measure.Reliability: same procedure will produce just

about the same measurements every time.Objectivity: statements that are public and

checkableSubjectivity: the thoughts that are in someone’s

head that are unavailable for checking by other people.

QUANTITATIVE

Research that gives you data that is easily measured is -

Example:

Surveys

Collected data

diagrams

tables

graphs

QUALITATIVE

Research that gives you data that has to be interpreted is:

Example:

Case Study

Open-ended

unstructured

Personal opinions

observation

Qualitative or Quantitative?

A significant number of sociologists choose not to apply the more scientific approaches to the study of human behaviour.

They prefer to sacrifice a certain precision of measurement and objectivity in order to get closer to their subjects, to examine the social world through the perspective of the people they are investigating.

These sociologists sometimes refer to quantitative researchers as those who ‘measure everything and understand nothing’.

As a class, discuss:1. Do you agree/disagree with this view-point?2. What dangers do you see in highly qualitative approaches

to research?3. Do you think there is much value in the qualitative

methodologists’ ‘impressions’ and interpretations of social phenomena?