Sociology 2259 Lecture 3: lecture 3.docx
4 Feb 2015
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Social contract and civil society lecture 3. How is theory practical: help develop policies and programs, social work, law enforcement, marketing and media, taking the theory and applying it in a practical way. What type of information you are trying to find will influence which method you use. Should be used to enhance or compliment your thesis. Every academic person should have a basic understanding of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Those with more objective interests: study the deviant act, person, or trait, positivist theories. Those with more subjective interests: study social construction and social typing, interpretive and critical theories, getting labeled and that label sticking with you and becoming you. General sociological theories (ex: functionalism and conflict) Specifically criminological theories (general theory of crime) Positivism: sees social science research as the same as natural science research, searching for facts, value-free observations, cause and effect. Statistical rarity: something is deviant if it is rare".
