SOCI 313 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Thick Description, Construct Validity, Cohort Study

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 313
• Professor: Jenny Godley

Document Summary

Research design: framework for the collection and analysis of data, must meet certain criteria, must take ethics into account. The type of research design chosen depends on the kind of explanation sought: nomothetic explanations cause and effect. Independent effect or cause: few are always independent, ex. Arrow to indicate relationship -- x -> y. T(cid:396)(cid:455) (cid:374)ot to talk i(cid:374) (cid:862)(cid:272)auses(cid:863) te(cid:396)(cid:373)s. If usi(cid:374)g the (cid:862)(cid:272)auses(cid:863) te(cid:396)(cid:373)s (cid:373)ake su(cid:396)e: empirical relationship, x then y relationship, no z variable. Distal causes: (cid:862)(cid:396)eal(cid:863) (cid:396)easo(cid:374) of o(cid:272)(cid:272)u(cid:396)(cid:396)e(cid:374)(cid:272)e. Intervening relationship: race/ethnicity -> crime, race/ethnicity -> ses -> crime. Ses (social class) = intervening/mediating variable -- z. Spurious relationship: # firefighters (goes up) -> damage (goes up, # firefighters damage. September 20, 2016: marriage -> health, males (more) & females = z. Criteria to establish causation: correlation, time order, non-spuriousness. Z = orientation, ses, age, mental/ physical well-being, methods, social context.