Sociology 302
Spring 2014

Professor:  
Douglas Smith
126 Grise Hall Phone:  (270) 745-3750
Department of Sociology Email:  Douglas.Smith@wku.edu
Western Kentucky University Webpage:  http://people.wku.edu/douglas.smith/
1906 College Heights Blvd. #11057
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1057
Office Hours:   MW 3:00-4:30pm or by appointment

Textbooks: 

Bryman, Alan. 2012. Social Research Methods, 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press.

Course Description:

In this course, we critically survey the assumptions, strategies, and techniques sociologists use for systematically observing the social world. Moreover, we examine the processes by which research problems are formulated, research designs selected, data gathered and interpreted, and inferences and conclusions drawn.  We engage in this examination both theoretically, through reading and discussion, and practically, through quantitative analyses data and exposition).

Course Objectives:

To develop an understanding of what it means to do sociology as a profession (i.e., to give you some skills you will need.).
To appreciate and understand the issues involved in systematically observing the social world
To provide a solid foundation for critically reviewing the reliability and validity of research findings.
To provide familiarity with the dominant research designs and research strategies used by social scientists.
To demonstrate key decision points in the research process.
To provide "hands on" experience with the research process and specific research skills that can make students employable as sociologists.
To make students critical (and, it is hoped, intelligent) consumers of social research as reported, for example, in the mass media. This involves, at the least, the ability to identify and disregard utter nonsense.

Course Format:

This course involves lectures, class discussions, lab participation, and outside class assignments. In addition to meeting at the regularly scheduled time, I may occasionally hold other demonstration and learning sessions. These will be scheduled for mutual convenience.

It is essential that each student come to class prepared to ask questions about things that they do not understand and turn in assignments as scheduled. Active class participation is required.

Readings are generally assigned the class meeting prior to the in-class discussion. Thus, students are expected to read the assignments prior to class.  Exercises are usually given out after in-class discussion and be due 3-5 days after their assignment.

Helpful hint:  Learn the location of computer rooms on campus. You may locate machines which have low demand and this will be important to you (not only in this class, but in your other classes in the future).

Resource Information:

The Writing Center has locations in Cherry Hall 123 and in the Commons at Cravens Library on the Bowling Green campus. The Glasgow Writing Center is located in room 231 on the Glasgow campus. The Writing Center also offers online consultations for students who live at a distance or who cannot visit during our operating hours. Our writing tutors have been trained to provide helpful feedback to students at all phases of a writing project: they can help you brainstorm ideas, structure your essay, clarify your purpose, strengthen your support, and edit for clarity and correctness. But they will not revise or edit the paper for you. See instructions on the website (www.wku.edu/writingcenter) for making online or face-to-face appointments. Or call (270) 745-5719 during our operating hours (also listed on our website) for help scheduling an appointment.  More information about the Glasgow Writing Center hours can be found at the website: http://www.wku.edu/glasgow/writingcenter.php .

The Learning Center

TLC tutors in most major undergraduate subjects and course levels throughout the week.  To make an appointment, or to request a tutor for a specific class, call 5-6254 or stop by DUC A330. Log on to TLC's website for more info.

Writing Center Assistance

Student Disability Services

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, DUC A200.  The Office for Student Disability Services telephone number is (270) 745-5004 V/TDD.  You should discuss any accommodation you need with them and they will give you a form listing the approved accommodations to give to me to sign. This process should be completed by the end of the second week of class.

Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from me (Dr. Smith) without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services. 

Research Appointments with your Personal Librarian

At WKU Libraries, your Personal Librarians are always ready to help! There are librarians for every program on campus, plus Special Collection librarians and archivists. Their goal is to save you time and help you be successful on term papers and research projects by showing you what you need to know to get started and be successful.

Start your research by scheduling an appointment with your Personal Librarian. Find them at http://www.wku.edu/library/dlps/subj_lib_subject.php, call Helm-Cravens Reference at270-745-6125, or email web.reference@wku.edu

Performance Evaluation Criteria:

       Student performance will be evaluated through chapter exercises, the mid-term, the final, and the student's research project. The weight of each of these pieces is as follows:

Participation 10%
Exercises 20%
Exam 1 10%
Exam 2 10%
Final Exam 15%
Research Project  35%
  100%

 


Tentative Class Schedule
(The professor reserves the right to pace the course to best fit the students.)

Monday, January 27
    Topic:  Introduction to Course, the Professor, the Syllabus, and the Paper

PART I: Shaping a Research Problem

Wednesday, January 29  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 1-"The Nature and Process of Social Research"
    Topic: The Research Process

Friday, January 31  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 2-"Social Research Strategies"
    Topic:  Qualitative versus Quantitative Research Strategies

Monday, February 3  Film:  Obedience: The Milgram Experiment
                                     BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 6-"Ethics and Politics in Social Research"
                               WATCH:  The Slideshow of the Stanford Prison Experiment:  http://www.prisonexp.org/
    Topic: Being an Ethical Researcher 

Wednesday, February 5  - NO CLASS
    Assignment: Complete WKU's training course at www.citiprogram.org

Friday, February 7  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 3 - "Research Designs"

Monday, February 10 Continuing on Chapter 3.

Wednesday, February 12 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 4-"Planning a Research Project and Formulating Research Questions" and Orcher, Lawrence T. 2005. "Grant Funding," pp. 116-124 in The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide.
    Topic:  Problem Selection, Research Feasibility, and the Search for Funding  

Friday, February 14 

Monday, February 17  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 29-"Writing Up Social Research"
    Discussion of Empirical Sociology Papers
   Getting on the Computer and Accessing Data

PART II: Quantitative Research Strategies

Wednesday, February 19  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 5-"Getting Started: Reviewing the Literature"
    Searching for articles and data

Friday, February 21  EXAM ONE

Monday, February 24  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 7-"The Nature of Quantitative Research"

Wednesday, February 26    BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 8-"Sampling"

Friday, February 28   In Class Sampling Exercise (Bring a Calculator if you have one.)  

Monday, March 3 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 9-"Structured Interviewing"
     ******NOTE: PAPER TOPIC DUE TODAY******

Wednesday, March 5 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 10-"Self-Completion Questionnaires"

Friday, March 7 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 11-"Asking Questions"
 

Monday, March 10 -- NO CLASS  (Spring Break!)

Wednesday, March 12 -- NO CLASS

Friday, March 14 -- NO CLASS

Monday, March 17  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 12-"Structured Observation"

Wednesday, March 19 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 13-"Content Analysis"

Friday, March 21  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 14-"Secondary Analysis and Official Statistics"

Monday, March 24   EXAM TWO
     DRAFT OF INTRO AND LITERATURE REVIEW DUE TODAY

PART III: A Quick Foray into Qualitative Research

Wednesday, March 26  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 17-"The Nature of Qualitative Research"

Friday, March 28  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 19-"Ethnography and Participant Observation"

Monday, March 31   

Wednesday, April 2 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 20-"Interviewing in Qualitative Research"

Friday, April 4 BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 21-"Focus Group Interviews"

Monday, April 7
    Review for Final

Wednesday, April 9
    EXAM THREE (Comprehensive)

PART IV: Data Processing and Analysis

Friday, April 11  BEFORE GETTING TO CLASS READ: Bryman, Chapter 15-"Quantitative Data Analysis" and Chapter 16-"Using IBM SPSS for Windows"
    Topic:  Data Cleaning and Distribution

Monday, April 14
    Topic:  Univariate Analysis and Data Transformation

Wednesday, April 16
    Topic:  Barcharts and Histograms

Friday, April 18
    Topic:  Using the Univariate Analysis

Monday, April 21
    Bivariate Analysis:  Crosstabulation and Significance (Chi-Square)

Wednesday, April 23
    Bivariate Analysis:  Crosstabulation and Measures of Association ( Lambda, Gamma, Tau-b)

Friday, April 25
    Bivariate Tables Workshop

Monday, April 28
    Multivariate Analysis: Elaboration method

Wednesday, April 30
    Multivariate Analysis:  Elaboration method interpretation 

Friday, May 2
    Elaboration Method Workshop

Monday, May 5
    Regression:  What is it?  Why do it?

Wednesday, May 7
    How to Format and Interpret Regression analysis

Friday, May 9
    Topic:  Putting it all together in the paper

Finally, my disclaimer.

DISCLAIMER The university may adopt a business model; however, ideally education is NOT a business.  Moreover, the syllabus is not a sacred contract (at the very least, the course calendar is not a sacred contract), but a road map. The readings in the course calendar are places we are scheduled to visit.  Anyone who has taken a preplanned road trip or vacation knows that the trip is not fun unless you stop at interesting roadside attractions even though they might divert from your original route or time table.  It's the process of getting there that is fun/relaxing/intriguing.  In that light, the above schedule and procedures for this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. DISCLAIMER
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