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SOC 302: Introduction to Methods of Social Research Gettysburg College Fall, 2008 |
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WF 11:00-12:15 Breidenbaugh 112 Instructor: Jean L. Potuchek Email: jpotuche@gettysburg.edu Telephone: 337-6196 |
Office: Trailer 1-D Office Hours: T 9:00-11:00;
W 9:00-10:00 & 2:00-4:00;
Th 9:00-10:30 & 2:30-3:30; F 1:00-3:00; &
by appointment |
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One of the defining characteristics of all the social
sciences, including sociology, is a commitment to empirical research as the
basis for knowledge. This course is designed to provide you with a basic
understanding of research in the social sciences and to enable you to think
like a social scientist. We will focus on such issues as the relationship
between theory and research, the logic of research design, issues of
conceptualization and measurement, basic methods of data collection, and what
social scientists do with data once they have collected it. By the end of the
course, you should be able to turn an interest into a research question, plan
a research project to study such a question, understand how to evaluate the
strengths and weaknesses of various research strategies, and read (with
understanding) published accounts of social science research. No course stands alone, and you are encouraged to think
of this course not as an isolated requirement that you need to “get out of
the way” but as part of the core of your Gettysburg College education. A Gettysburg College education is organized
around four major goals – learning how to look at the world from multiple
perspectives (multiple inquiries), learning how to combine different
perspectives into a deeper understanding (integrative thinking), learning how
to share knowledge and understanding with others (effective communication),
and learning how to use what you know to make a contribution to communal life
(local and global citizenship). This
course addresses all of these goals. It
will deepen and strengthen your understanding of social science as a mode of
inquiry (mutiple inquiries), and our focus on the communication conventions
of sociology will make your social science writing stronger (effective
communication). For those who are
sociology or globalization studies majors, this course will provide an
essential foundation for the capstone experience that you will use to
integrate your learning in your major (integrative thinking). Finally, our focus on how we know what we
know will prepare you to evaluate truth claims more effectively now and in
the future – a particularly useful skill in an election year (local and
global citizenship). Readings The following required readings
for the course are either available for purchase at the College Store or on
reserve (in Musselman Library and as electronic reserves): Books to Purchase: The following required textbook
for the course is available at the college bookstore: Earl Babbie, The Basics
of Social Research, 4th edition. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008 American Sociological Association, ASA Style Guide, 3rd edition. In addition, each student in the
course will read and develop a thorough knowledge of a book-length research
monograph. There are two monographs to choose from, I will assign monographs
the first day of class, and you will be asked to purchase either Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Men and Women of the Corporation
(Basic Books, 1993) or Kathryn Edin and Laura Lein, Making Ends Meet (Russell Sage Foundation, 1997) Reserve Readings: The following additional readings
for the course are on reserve at Musselman Library and on CNAV; they are
designated by (R) on the syllabus: Liliane Floge and Deborah M. Merrill, "Tokenism
Reconsidered: Male Nurses and Female Physicians in a Hospital Setting," Social
Forces, 64:4 (June, 1986), pp. 925-947. Robert R. Alford, "Designing a Research Project,"
pp. 21-31 in The Craft of Inquiry: Theories, Methods, Evidence (Oxford
University Press, 1998) Singleton and Straits, “The Logic of Scientific Reasoning,”
pp. 40-62 in Approaches to Social
Research, 3rd edition (Oxford University Press, 1999) Others, to be announced (TBA) Assignments Index Cards This
is a daily assignment designed to help you review the material from the
previous class session in preparation for the coming class. As you enter the classroom on each
Wednesday and Friday, you will turn in an index card with either (a) a
question you have about the material from the previous class or (b) an
example of a concept covered in the previous class. This is an assignment that you are actually
encouraged to do at the last minute (either the morning of class or the night
before)! It should only take you about
15 minutes to review your notes from the previous class and develop either a
question or an example. Index cards
will not be graded, but they will be marked as completed or not. You may miss 3 index cards without
penalty. However, anyone who
misses more than 3 index cards (or, by extension, is absent or late for more
than 3 class sessions) will automatically receive an F for class attendance
and participation. Index Cards
are never accepted late. You
will also be expected to complete a series of homework exercises that will
involve applying course material. These "brief assignments" are due
weekly, except in weeks when a research proposal step is due or when there is
an exam. Brief assignments will
sometimes be used as the basis of class discussion, and are due in at
class time (except where late points are being used). As a major written assignment for the course, each
student will develop a formal research proposal. You will be guided through
this assignment in manageable steps, and through it, you will integrate what
you are learning in the course and get practice in thinking like a social
scientist. You may choose any appropriate sociological topic or question that
is of interest to you (including one that you are working on for another
course). Research proposal steps are
due at class time; however, those who are in class on the date they are due
have an automatic extension until 5:00 p.m. In addition, late points may be used for
steps of the research proposal. All
assignments (except index cards) must be typed. Any brief assignments or
research proposal steps that are handed in handwritten will be returned for
typing and counted as late. Late Points: Each student begins the course with two
late points, each of which may be used for up to 24 hours of lateness on
any brief assignment or research proposal step. Extensions beyond these late
points will be granted only in extraordinary circumstances. Late
assignments that are not covered by available late points or other extensions
will be read and returned with comments but will be graded as not submitted. Exams There will be three exams for the course, one
covering the first third of the course, one covering the second third of the
course, and a cumulative final. Each exam will include a variety of question
types (including multiple choice, short answer, and essay). Expectations
Grading Final grades for the course will be calculated as
follows:
Angel
Web Site An extensive Internet web site for this course is
maintained in Angel. There you can find course information and
assignments, copies of course handouts and discussion exercises, and a grade
book for the course. You can get to this web site via CNAV (your “this
semester” page) or by going to the "Current Student” homepage of the
Gettysburg College website. Class Schedule
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