Social
Research Methods I:
Understanding
Attitudes toward Poverty in the United States
Sociology 302-003
Dr. Joanna M. Badagliacco Fall
2007
1501
Phone:
257-4335; Email: jmb@uky.edu
Class meets: Tuesday/Thursday 2-3:15; room CB 233
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 2-4 p.m.
Teaching Assistants: Derek Ruez; 1539 POT, 257-4414,
office hours: Mondays 4-5
Course Description: Sociology 302 satisfies one
requirement for the Sociology major or minor degree. In this course we will explore how
sociologists use scientific methods to research questions and issues important
to the discipline. We will examine and
use some of the methods and techniques that are used to conduct research. Sociology 303, the second course in the methods
series, teaches students how to further analyze data.
Course Objectives: By the completion of this course you
should be able to demonstrate knowledge of methods used by sociologists to
conduct research (i.e., be able to discuss techniques and analyze data using a
sociological approach). You will learn
how to research poverty issues in Kentucky and the nation by producing,
conducting a literature search, writing hypotheses, designing a research
project, interviewing, conducting focus group analysis, designing a survey
questionnaire, and a research proposal.
You will use analytical techniques to describe and synthesize your
work. In addition, you will strengthen
your skills in reading, comparing, critically examining, evaluating, and
summarizing journal articles, readings, and other textual materials. As well, you will enhance your computing and
other technological abilities.
By the end
of this course you will have learned skills that are transferable to many
different areas of employment. Indeed, sociology
graduates most often mention skills learned in methods classes as very
important in getting a job.
Course Content.
This semester, Sociology 302-002 is being taught as part of the Social
Inequalities concentration developed by the Department of Sociology at
You will be
assigned to work on a team with other students enrolled in the course. Collaborative learning is encouraged in this
course, and you are expected to work cooperatively with the other members of
your team. Of course, project papers and
examinations will be your own individual work.
Teams
for Fall 2007 are as follows:
Team 1 will examine the definition of, public awareness
of, and attitudes toward the general characterization and understanding of Poverty in the United States
Team 2 will examine the definition of, public awareness
of, and attitudes toward Homelessness
and Low-Income Housing
Team 3 will examine the definition of, public awareness
of, and attitudes toward Public
Assistance (TANF)
Team 4 will examine the definition of, public awareness
of, and attitudes toward Food Insecurity
and Hunger
Team 5 will examine the definition of, public awareness
of, and attitudes toward Work and a
Living Wage
Note about the Workload: As someone once said, "there's no
such thing as a free lunch," and this is especially true of this
course. Learning transferable research
techniques and skills requires considerable commitment and effort. You should expect to spend several hours a week working on this
course: using a computer and the Internet, reading, doing library research,
conducting qualitative research, writing survey questions, administering
questionnaires, entering data, and writing analyses. This course can be quite enjoyable and pain
free if you pace your workload throughout the semester. Note that all assignments build on the prior
assignments and can be most successfully done only if you make a serious commitment from the very start.
Required Texts and
materials:
1)
Buy Babbie, Earl. The Basics of Social Research, NY: Thompson,
2008, paperback.
2)
Use the file folder I will give you
for all assignments – that is, each time you turn in an assignment use this
folder and include in the folder all the previous assignment so that I can see
how your are progressing. I will not
accept work without a folder, which may result in your work being late and may
receive less credit or no credit.
Course Requirements and
Grading:
Readings: You are expected to read all of the assigned readings before
the due date, and be prepared to discuss them in class. A wise student would read the underlined
notes under assignments below.
Your
grade will be based upon a 500 point scale, and will be determined using
several measures. Note: Instructions on
writing assignments mentioned below are fully detailed in separate handouts.
1. Exams: Exams are 20% of your grade. There will be two exams. Each exam is worth 50 points, and is made up
mostly from a test bank associated with the text book. Make-up exams will be oral, and will
be given only for documented medical or other serious emergencies.
2. Class participation. I expect you to participate. There will be OFTEN one-minute papers,
questions to answer, quick summaries of the readings, quick summarys of the
materials covered in the last class.
I
will monitor your attendance, group and individual class involvement in
discussions, and your overall classroom participation. Your attendance at all class sessions is
essential, and I will take attendance.
If you have an emergency and cannot make it to class, please contact me
(email is a good way), and explain why you will be out. I will deduct points from your grade for
undocumented unexcused absences.
3. Assignments:
Assignments make up 80% of your grade (400 points) overall. There will be five written assignments of
varying lengths and point value, and one oral group presentation early in the
semester. Assignments build on each
other, and later assignments are worth more points. Late papers will NOT be accepted for full
credit except with acceptable documented reason, prior permission, or because
of a medical emergency. A late
paper without an acceptable written excuse will lose one full letter grade per
day for each day it is late. Rewrites
will not be accepted, as you will have ample time to meet with me or the
Teaching Assistants for clarification and/or explanation prior to the
assignment due date. You should avail
yourself of this opportunity.
Assignments are as follows (see also due dates below):
To
summarize points:
Percent
Points of grade
Participation 40 8
Exams 100
20
Assignment 1 (presentation) 40 8
Assignment 2 (theory, literature) 50 10
Assignment 3 (hypotheses) 60
12
Assignment 4 (focus group) 60
12
Assignment 5 (questionnaire) 50 10
Assignment 6 (proposal) 100 20
Total 500 100%
Grades
will be determined as follows:
A = 90%
or better = 450 - 500
points
B = 80
- 89% = 400 - 449
points
C = 70
- 79% = 350 - 399
points
D = 65
- 69% = 325 - 349
points
E = less
than 65% = 0 - 324 points
A
grade of I (incomplete) is not usually given for this course and will only be
considered in the case of a serious emergency, and must be discussed with me
prior to the final exam date.
Policies
related to excused absences, cheating/plagiarism, withdrawal, an I grade, and
final exams can be found in your copy of Student
Rights and Responsibilities or on-line at
[http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/code/].
As students and faculty in the University of Kentucky, we are all
responsible for adhering to these policies.
Plagiarism and/or cheating will result in failure for the course (final
"E" grade).
Schedule,
Readings, Due Dates for Assignments, Exams
|
Date |
Reading |
Topic |
Assignment |
|
T: 23 Aug. |
Syllabus |
Introduction to course |
Get book, materials |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Introduction to Social Science Inquiry |
|
|
T: 28 Aug. |
Babbie, Ch. 1 |
How do we know what we
know? |
|
|
R: 30 Aug. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beginning the Research Process |
|
|
T: 4 Sept. |
Babbie, Ch. 2 |
Theory and Research |
|
|
R: 6 Sept. |
|
Theory in Action |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 11 Sept. |
|
Oral Presentations by
groups |
WA 1 due |
|
R: 13 Sept. |
|
Oral Presentations by
groups |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Defining the Research Undertaking |
|
|
T: 18 Sept. |
Babbie, Ch. 15 |
Reading and Writing Social
Research |
|
|
R: 20 Sept. |
Babbie, App. A |
How to use Library Resources |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 25 Sept. |
Babbie, Ch. 4 |
Research Design |
WA 2 due |
|
R: 27 Sept. |
|
Research Design |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 2 Oct. |
Babbie, Ch. 5 |
Conceptualization,
Operationalization |
|
|
R: 4 Oct. |
|
Measurement |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 9 Oct. |
Babbie, Ch. 3 |
Ethical Issues of Social
Research |
WA 3 due |
|
R: 14 Oct. |
|
Code of Ethics; Bad
company? Politics & Ethics |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 16 Oct. |
|
EXAM 1 |
EXAM 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Nature of Social Research I: Qualitative Data |
|
|
R: 18 Oct. |
Babbie, Ch. 10 |
Qualitative data collection |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 23 Oct. |
Babbie, Ch. 10 |
Focus Groups |
interview |
|
R: 25 Oct. |
|
Interviewing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 30 Oct. |
|
Sampling Logic |
|
|
R: 1 Nov. |
|
|
WA 4 due |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Nature of Social Research II: Quantitative Data |
|
|
T: 6 Nov. |
Babbie, Ch. 9 |
Survey Research |
|
|
R: 8 Nov. |
|
Questionnaire Design |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 13 Nov. |
|
Secondary Data Analysis |
|
|
R: 15 Nov. |
Babbie, Ch. 11 |
Unobtrusive Measures – very
useful for proposal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 20 Nov. |
|
Review for WA 5 –
Questionnaire Design |
|
|
R: 22 Nov. |
|
Happy Thanksgiving |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 27 Nov. |
|
EXAM 2 |
EXAM 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Writing Social Research |
|
|
R: 29 Nov. |
|
Proposal writing |
WA 5 due |
|
|
|
|
|
|
T: 4 Dec. |
|
Research day to work &
consult on proposal |
|
|
R: 6 Dec. |
|
Research day to work on
proposal |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R: 16 Dec. |
|
Last day to turn in
proposal by 5 p.m. |
WA 6 due |
|
|
|
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|