Spring 2023  |  SOC 3801 Section 001: Sociological Research Methods (51745)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
Online Course
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/17/2023 - 05/01/2023
Tue, Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
UMTC, West Bank
Anderson Hall 310
Enrollment Status:
Open (107 of 120 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
This course provides an introduction to the materials and methods of social science research in a comprehensive and critical way. The course begins by introducing social science research, including philosophical and theoretical foundations. The course then covers the primary components of research design, including conceptualization, operationalization and measurement, primary and secondary data collection and sources, sampling, and the logic of comparison(s). prereq: 1001 recommended; soc majors must register A-F
Class Notes:
Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?liebler+SOC3801+Spring20232
Class Description:
This course focuses on the effective critical evaluation of sociological evidence. After introducing basic principles of sociological research, we will carefully read and analyze significant studies which exemplify each of four types of sociological research methods: field observations, historical archives, surveys, and experiments. No mathematical or statistical background is required.
Who Should Take This Class?:
Sociology majors and other social scientists hoping to understand how sociological research is created and what questions we might ask of each study to better understand it's strengths and weaknesses.
Grading:
10% Worksheets and other assignments based on lectures
15% Worksheets and other assignments based on podcasts
30% Unit quizzes
30% Two brief papers analyzing the quality of methods used by professional sociologists (as described in the readings)
15% Worksheets based on readings
Exam Format:
The unit quizzes are multiple choice and short answer. There are no exams.
Class Format:
Lectures are asynchronous and available on Canvas.
Podcasts are from Give Methods a Chance -- listen to podcast, read accompanying book, answer accompanying questions, contribute to discussions.
Class is divided into nine units and each unit has a short quiz.
Deeper understanding and analysis are required to analyze the quality of methods used by professional sociologists (papers are about the assigned journal article reading material only)
Worksheets based on the assigned journal articles, assessing basic understanding, in preparation for the papers.
Workload:
30-50 pages of reading per week
20-40 minutes of podcast listening per week
10-12 pages of writing per semester
5-10 brief quizzes
2 papers critically evaluating the evidence for claims made by a professional sociologist
11 homework worksheets based on assigned readings
Students have options for how to earn points. There are more points available than are necessary for an "A". The only required assignments are the two papers.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/51745/1233
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
26 March 2022

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2023 Sociology Classes

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