Methods The Tools of Science
Jan 14, 2016
Methods
The Tools of Science
Coming Up
This week:MethodsInequality in Health CareGo to D2L and take the “Gender
Quiz”
Next week:Gender
Things to focus on:
Why is Goldberg’s argument that the media is liberal not supported?
What is Generalizability?Explain the differences in social science
methods (and relationship to generalizability).
Methods
Methods allow scientists to distinguish evidence from opinion.
Sociology covers issues that many people think they know about, so methods are important to add scientific understanding to popular subjects.
The Scientific Method
Theory
Hypotheses
Testing
Analysis of Results
Theory
Overarching view of the subject of study.
Theory of gravity
Every particle in the universe is attracted to each other in proportion to their mass and inversely proportional to their distance from each other.
Hypotheses
Hypotheses are testable statements based on your theory.
Theory of gravity:
Hypothesis: An object dropped will fall to the ground.
Hypothesis: A comet coming too close to the earth will be captured by its gravity and fall to the earth.
More Examples
Theory: Alienation under CapitalismHypothesis: Workers with little creative
control over their work will be dissatisfied with their jobs.
Theory: Filters of Propaganda in MediaHypothesis: Victims that support US
interests will by “worthy” victims.
Filters of Propaganda
“Content analysis”
Four different media sources.
Analyzed articles for 18 months after event.
Testable
Science requires that our hypotheses be testable.
People must be able to repeat your study.
Methods provide structure to study an issue.Social science covers many contemporary
issues.May attempt to contrast commonly held views.
The Methods Must Allow You To Be Wrong
Researchers must avoid conducting research that intentionally supports their points.
Types of Methods
Unobtrusive and ObtrusiveQualitative and Quantitative
Unobtrusive and Obtrusive
Unobtrusive methods:study already existing data.do not study people directly, but study
various existing pieces of evidence.Obtrusive Methods:
involves interacting with the subjects of your study.
Interviewsobserving them in the process of their activityresearchers may participate in the activity
Qualitative and Quantitative
Qualitative research attempts to more deeply understand the object of the study.focuses on the meaning the subjects place on
the issueless able to “generalize” our findings
Quantitative research tends to use numbers to get a bigger picture.the researcher can make generalizations
about large groups
“Bias” by Bernard Goldberg
Bias: a CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News
Based on anecdotes (stories), not actual scientific analysis.
Generalizing in Sociology
Proper techniques can tell you all lot about large numbers of people, just by surveying a properly studied smaller group.
Opinion polls and election exit polls are based on this principle.
Limits to Generalizing
Bernard Goldberg tries to say the media is biased, but he is only looking at anecdotes from CBS news.
At best, he may be able to tell us a little about how CBS news operates, but he still has problems because of how he collected his information.
Survey Evidence of “Bias”
Journalists’ Political Self-Identification61% liberal or moderate to liberal9% conservative or moderate to
conservativeJournalists’ Social Views
81% support affirmative action82% pro-choice25% support prayer in public schools
What Is Left Out Range of Debate in the Mainstream
Media
Revolutionary Radical Liberal Conservative Reactionary
Demand-SideEconomics
NeoliberalEconomics
The Political Spectrum in the USLeft Right
Progressive
What about the stories?
Journalists may be socially liberal, but Goldberg does not address the stories!
“Journalists tend to be more pro-business and conservative than the bulk of the population on the economy, militarism, and regulation of business in the public interest.” (Robert McChesney, The Problem of the
Media)
Science or Opinion?
“I didn’t want this to be written from a social scientist point of view. I have total confidence that the point here is accurate.” Bernard Goldberg at 2002 bookstore
appearance.
Liberal Bias?
What Goldberg tells us:Journalists vote democratic.Journalists support social liberal causes like
Affirmative Action and gay rights.He’s heard a few stories about how editors and
others control news content.What Goldberg leaves out:
Journalists support conservative economic issues.
So, what can we conclude from Goldberg?Nothing scientific really!