Professor: Annette Nierobisz

Address: 320 Willis Hall

Email: anierobi@carleton.edu

Office Phone: (507) 646-4114

(SOAN 240)

This course provides an overview of the various approaches used in social research. In reviewing these approaches, students will learn the logic underlying social research as well as the fundamentals of research design, data collection, and data analysis. Students will also acquire the analytical tools necessary to translate complex theoretical questions into empirical analysis. By the end of the course, students will be able to make judgements about which research techniques are most suitable for particular social research questions.

This course satisfies one of the requirements for the SOAN major. More importantly, the skills acquired in this course will help you conceptualize and complete your comps; they will also serve you well in graduate school and in the labor market.

1. I have developed three assignments that will assess your understanding of course material and concepts. Assignment 1 involves an analysis of published government statistics. Assignment 2 asks you to quantitatively analyze survey data. Assignment 3 asks you to conduct a qualitative interview. Each assignment will be distributed after our discussion of selected topics and you will have approximately two weeks to complete the assignment. Due to time constraints, no extensions will be provided and students will lose five-percent per day for each day their assignment is late.
2. There are no official tests in this course. However, throughout the term you will receive a series of quizzes that will assess your understanding of course content. I will announce these quizzes in advance.
3. There will be one in-class, group presentation. The presentations will involve methodological discussions of the following books:

• Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America
• Sex in America: A Definitive Survey
• Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places
• Northern Passage: American Vietnam War Resisters in Canada

1. Learning about research methods is a collaborative process. In this regard, your final grade also will be based on your class participation and your participation on the "Methods of Social Research" caucus. The caucus site is designated for further class discussion of course material. In particular, you are asked to submit questions about methodological issues and provide answers to other student questions. Students will earn one point for every question they pose to caucus and two points for every question they answer correctly. No points will be awarded for incorrect answers. The maximum number of points you can receive for your caucus participation is 25.
2. Finally, class attendance is essential. Students with excessive, unexplained absences (i.e., more than 3 classes missed) risk losing their participation grade.

Your work will be weighted as follows:

Assignment 1 20% A’s = 90% and above

Assignment 2: 25% B’s = 80-89%

Assignment 3: 25% C’s = 70-79%

Participation : 10% F’s = 0-59%

Pop Quizzes : 5%

100%

Two books are required for this course:

• Schutt, Russell K. 2001. Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
• Allison, Paul D. 1999. Multiple Regression: A Primer. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

You are also required to read one of the following four books:

• Anderson, Margo J. and Stephen E. Fienberg. 2001. Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
• Michael, Robert T., John H. Gagnon, Edward O. Laumann, and Gina Kolata. 1994. Sex in America: A Definitive Survey. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.
• Humphreys, Laud. 1970. Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine.
• Hagan, John. 2001. Northern Passage: American Vietnam War Resisters in Canada. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

The course texts are available in the Carleton College bookstore. One copy of each book also has been placed on closed reserve.

A series of journal articles and book chapters also are on closed reserve. These readings illustrate and/or elaborate on the use of particular research methods. Reading this material will further enhance your understanding of each topic.

Jan 4: What is Social Research?

• Mills, C. Wright. 1959. "The Promise." Pp. 3-24 in The Sociological Imagination. London: Oxford University Press (closed reserve).

Jan 7: Getting Started: A Brief Overview of the Social Research Process

• Schutt, Chapter 1: "Science, Society, and Social Research"
• Schutt, Chapter 2: "The Process and Problems of Social Research"
• Hampton, K.N. and B. Wellman. 1999. "Netville Online and Offline: Observing and Surveying a Wired Suburb." American Behavioral Scientist 43: 475-492 (available at ProQuest).

Jan 9: Conceptualization and Measurement

• Schutt, Chapter 3: "Conceptualization and Measurement"

Jan 11: The Logic of Sampling

• Schutt, Chapter 4: "Sampling"
• Michael, R., J. Gagnon, E. Lauman, and G. Kolata. 1994. "The Sex Survey." Pp. 15- 41 in Sex in America. Boston: Little, Brown and Company (closed reserve).

Jan 14: Causation

• Schutt, Chapter 5: "Causation and Research Design" (read only p.145-152)
• Schutt, Chapter 6: "Experiments"
• Sherman, L. and R. Berk. 1984. "The Specific Deterrent Effects of Arrest for Domestic Assault." American Sociological Review 49: 261-272 (www.jstor.org).

Jan 16: Research Design

• Schutt, Chapter 5: "Causation and Research Design" (p. 152-171)
• Beck, E.M. and S.E. Tolnay. 1990. "The Killing Fields of the Deep South: The Market for Cotton and the Lynching of Blacks, 1882-1930." American Sociological Review 55: 526-539 (www.jstor.org).

2. Using Available Data

Jan 18: Available Data Sources

• Schutt, Chapter 9: "Historical and Comparative Methods"
• Webb, E.J., D.T. Campbell, R.D. Schwartz and L. Sechrest. 1966. Unobtrusive Measures, Chapter 3 (closed reserve).
• Nierobisz, A. and R. Macmillan. 2001. "Towards a Sociology of Legal Relevance: Judicial Decisions on Wrongful Dismissal Cases in the ‘New’ Capitalist Economy." Unpublished manuscript (closed reserve).
• Assignment 1 distributed and discussed. This assignment is due Feb 1 in class.

Jan 21: Accessing the U.S. Census and other Government Data

• Library Session

• Who Counts? The Politics of Census-Taking in Contemporary America

Jan 25: Presenting and Displaying Census and other Government Data

• Schutt, Chapter 10: "Data Analysis" (read only p. 347-363)
• Schor, J.B. 1991. "Time Squeeze: The Extra Month of Work." Pp. 17-41 in The Overworked American. New York: Basic Books (closed reserve).

Jan 28, 30: Content Analysis

• Markoff, J., G. Shapiro, and S.R. Weitman. 1975. "Toward the Integration of Content Analysis and General Methodology." Sociological Methodology 6: 1-58 (www.jstor.org).
• Binder, A. 1993. "Constructing Racial Rhetoric: Media Depictions of Harm in Heavy Metal and Rap Music." American Sociological Review 58: 753-767 (www.jstor.org).

Feb 1: Survey Research

• Schutt, Chapter 7: "Survey Research"
• Lavin, D. and D.W. Maynard. 2001. "Standardization vs. Rapport: Respondent Laughter and Interviewer Reaction During Telephone Surveys." American Sociological Review 66: 453-479 (closed reserve).

Feb 4: Mid-term Break

Feb 6, 8: Analyzing Survey Data I: Elementary Quantitative Analyses

• Schutt, Chapter 10: "Data Analysis" (read only p. 363-390)
• Hagan, J. 1974. "Extra-Legal Attributes and Criminal Sentencing: An Assessment of a Sociological Viewpoint." Law and Society Review 8: 357-383 (closed reserve).
• Assignment 2 distributed and discussed on Feb 8. This assignment is due Feb 25 in class.

Feb 11: Presentation

• Sex in America: A Definitive Survey

Feb 13: Lab Session: A Review of SPSS

• Schutt, Appendix E: "How to Use a Statistical Package"

Feb 15: Analyzing Survey Data II: An Introduction to Multivariate Analysis

• Allison, Chapter 1: "What is Multiple Regression"
• Allison, Chapter 2: "How Do I Interpret Multiple Regression Results?"
• Allison, Chapter 3: "What Can Go Wrong with Multiple Regression?"

Feb 18, 20: Conducting Multivariate Analyses

• Allison, Chapter 4: "How do I Run a Multiple Regression?"
• Allison, Chapter 5: "How does Bivariate Regression Work?"
• Allison, Chapter 6: "What are the Assumptions of Multiple Regression?"

Feb 22: The Logic of Qualitative Research

• Schutt, Chapter 8: "Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening" (read only p. 264-270)
• Geertz, C. 1973. "Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture." Pp. 3-30 in The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books (closed reserve).

Feb 25: Field Research: Participant Observation

• Schutt, Chapter 8: "Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening" (read only p. 270-288)
• Whyte, William Foote. 1955. "Appendix: On the Evolution of Street Corner Society." Pp. 279-358 in Street Corner Society. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (closed reserve).
• Assignment 3 distributed and discussed. This assignment is due Mar 11 in class.

Feb 27 Field Research: In-depth Interviewing

• Schutt, Chapter 8: "Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening" (read only p. 288-293)
• Rubin, H.J. and I.S. Rubin. 1995. "Interviews as Guided Conversations." Pp. 122-144 in Qualitative Interviewing. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications (closed reserve).

Mar 1: Presentation:

Mar 4: Analyzing and Presenting Qualitative Data

• Schutt, Chapter 8: "Qualitative Methods: Observing, Participating, Listening" (read only p. 295-300)
• Baily, C. 1996. "And the Beat Goes On: The Art of Interpretation." Pp. 89-120 in A Guide to Field Research. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press (closed reserve).
• Kruttschnitt, C., R. Gartner and A. Miller. 2000. "Doing Her Own Time? Women’s Responses to Prison in the Context of the Old and the New Penology." Criminology 38: 681-717 (available at ProQuest).

Mar 6: Mixing Methodological Approaches

• Schutt, Chapter 11: "Multiple Methods in Context"
• Nierobisz, A. and J. Hagan. 2001. "Shooting the Messenger and the Message: The Social Basis of Authority Challenges in Law School Settings." Unpublished manuscript (closed reserve).

Mar 8: Presentation

Mar 11: Final Words

• Mills, C. Wright. 1959. "On Intellectual Craftsmanship." Pp. 195-225 in The Sociological Imagination. London: Oxford University Press (closed reserve).