Description

Overview

This quarter you have read academic journal articles that utilized the three most common research strategies in sociology—surveys, interviews and field research/ethnography. Those articles include:

Anderson, Robert & Meir Yaish. 2018. “Preferences for the Distribution of Incomes in Modern Societies: The Enduring Influence of Social Class and Economic Context.” Canadian Public Policy, 44(2), 190-205. andersenandyaish_preferencesforthedistributionofincomesinmodernsocieties_90022701-1.pdf

Fothergill, Alice. 2003. “The Stigma of Charity: Gender, Class and Disaster Assistance.” The Sociological Quarterly, 44(4), 659-680. INTENSIVEINTERVIEWS_fothergill_thestigmaofcharity (1).pdf

Perry, Samuel. 2013. “Urban Hybrid Space and the Homeless.” Ethnography 14(4): 431-451. ETHNOGRAPHY_perry_urbanhybridspaceandthehomeless (1).pdf

The Task

You will write a 3-4 page essay that compares and contrasts surveys, interviews and ethnography/field research using the examples in these three journal articles in relation to the material in your textbook about surveys, in-depth interviews and ethnography. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each research strategy as illustrated in these three specific research studies? Choose at least two of the major concepts we have read about this quarter to help focus your discussion, including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic causal explanation, nomothetic causal explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling. Think of this as the written portion of your final exam in which you are evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the three core research approaches that sociologists use.

Essay Guidelines

The essay should be typed, doublespaced, and have 1-inch margins. Your introduction will be 2 (or 3) paragraphs that include:

  • a hook to capture the reader’s attention
  • your thesis statement (your upshot regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the three research approaches)
  • a brief description of each of the three pieces of research

You will write 4-6 fully developed paragraphs using the P.I.E. paragraph format:

  • Your paragraphs should take the form of PIE paragraphs: Point/Illustration/Explanation.
  • Your Points should be points of comparison (similarity) or contrast in relation to the advantages and disadvantages of each research strategy.
  • Provide plenty of textual Illustrations using examples or quotes from all three journal articles that best illustrate and support your Points.
  • Explain/Analyze: your point, definitions of the concepts you chose to focus your essay, the examples you use from the journal articles in relation to these concepts, how those points and examples relate to the concepts, and how the examples illustrate your points.

Include a one paragraph conclusion that answers the question “So what?” or “Why should we care?” or “What are the implications of this?”

Imagine writing these essays for another student at De Anza who has not taken this class and give lots of context and background so that such a person would be able to understand your arguments.

This assignment is worth 100 points. It will be evaluated on the extent to which the points you develop are supported with specific examples from the three journal articles and the extent to which you demonstrate understanding and mastery of the ideas and concepts about each of the research methods from the textbook. An “A” essay will demonstrate accurate understanding of the meaning of the course concepts chosen from the list, apply those concepts to relevant examples from the journal articles and used those examples to explore the advantages and disadvantages of each research strategy.

A note about how to structure the body paragraphs of the essay

There are lots of possibilities but here are two obvious ones:

One possibility:

Survey Research

  • Advantages relative to Concept One
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept One
  • Advantages relative to Concept Two
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept Two

Intensive Interviewing

  • Advantages relative to Concept One
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept One
  • Advantages relative to Concept Two
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept Two

Ethnography/Field Work

  • Advantages relative to Concept One
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept One
  • Advantages relative to Concept Two
  • Disadvantages relative to Concept Two

Or here’s another possibility

Concept One

  • Survey research advantages
  • Survey research disadvantages
  • Intensive interviewing advantages
  • Intensive interviewing disadvantages
  • Ethnography/field work advantages
  • Ethnography/field work disadvantages

Concept Two

  • Survey research advantages
  • Survey research disadvantages
  • Intensive interviewing advantages
  • Intensive interviewing disadvantages
  • Ethnography/field work advantages
  • Ethnography/field work disadvantages

Rubric

Project 4 Rubric

Project 4 Rubric

Criteria Ratings

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIntroductionIntroduction includes
–a hook to capture the reader’s attention
–brief descriptions of the three research studies
–a thesis (upshot related to the strengths and weaknesses of the three research approaches

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs signficant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSurvey Research–Strengths and Weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 1Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of survey research, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “Preferences for the Distribution of Income in Modern Societies”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSurvey Research–Strengths and Weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 2Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of survey research, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “Preferences for the Distribution of Income in Modern Societies”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIntensive Interview Research–Strengths and Weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 1Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of interview research, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “The Stigma of Charity”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIntensive Interview Research–Strengths and weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 2Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of interview research, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “The Stigma of Charity”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEthnography/Field Work–Strengths and Weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 1Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of ethnography, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “Urban Hybrid Space and the Homeless.”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEthnography/Field Work–Strengths and Weaknesses in relation to CONCEPT 2Uses one of the major concepts we have read about this quarter (including but not limited to: measurement validity, reliability, generalizability, causal validity, exploration, description, idiographic explanation, nomothetic explanation, ethical principles, conceptualization, operationalization, and sampling) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of ethnography, defining and explaining the concept using our textbook and course lectures and supporting your points with examples from the article “Urban Hybrid Space and the Homeless.”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusionAnswers the question “So what?” or “Why should we care?” or “What are the implications of this?”

Excellent

Solid

Satisfactory

Needs significant improvement

No Marks