Imagine you have an opportunity to become a part of a sociological research team. It is up to you to suggest the topic. Think about your dream! Maybe you want to launch a startup company? Are you interested in giving back to your community?
Help animals? Support a cause you are passionate about? Is there a long-standing problem that you would like to solve?
As an executive, you might consider hiring a team of social researchers, or follow an academic career by joining a group of dedicated scholars solving a sociological puzzle, or advocate for a social change supported by your research findings.
In this assignment, you suggest a sociological research question.
You will identify a preferred theoretical perspective for explaining your research topic (functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism), determine whether the research fits into public, applied or basic sociology, and finally find an academic research abstract that covers your topic to have a basic understanding about the current state of the research.
Length: 600-700 words
Learning outcomes
Use your sociological imagination. Sociological imagination is a vivid awareness of the relationship between personal experience and the wider society (Mills 1959, p.6).
Understand the role of the sociologist and the application of sociological research.
Distinguish between the basic ideas of symbolic interactionism, functional analysis, and conflict theory.
Learn the initial stages of a research design.
Have a basic understanding of how to find relevant peer-reviewed empirical studies.