Time Schedule:
Wanda Martina Morris
SOC 320
Seattle Campus
A critical introduction to the methods used to collect data in social science: surveys, archival research, experiments, and participant observation. Evaluates "facts and findings" by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the methods that produce them. Case based. Offered: jointly with CS&SS 320/STAT 320.
Class description
This is a course in social science argument. It is an introduction to the critical skills you need to evaluate the data used to justify claims about social issues. We focus on the logic and procedures of empirical research, using a case-based approach to learn about the four methods of data collection in social science contexts: field observations, historical archives, surveys, and experiments. We learn about the methods by reading a case study in detail; using it to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different types of data, and to evaluate the application of the methods in this case. This is not an introduction to statistical estimation and inference. Rather, it is a general introduction to social science methodology intended to make you a more discerning consumer of social science research.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
3 lectures, 1 quiz section per week
Recommended preparation
None required
Class assignments and grading
