SOCIOLOGY 331
RESEARCH METHODS
HW2: FIELD OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENT (25 points):
Due no later than 11:55p ET on Sunday of Week 5 submit using link in Sakai AND using
www.turnitin.com
PURPOSE: The purpose of this two-step exercise is for you to conduct inductive and deductive research using
qualitative methods.
Note: it is important that you conduct the observations as two distinct events during this class; recalling past
observations is not the same as purposefully observing your surroundings from a sociological perspective, and
applying two different types of reasoning to one observation will not be truthful or successful.
The purpose of this exercise if for you to observe ONE social setting or social artifact to begin to detect patterns
in human behavior observance of norms and potentially behaviors that deviate from the norm. This weeks
exercise includes two parts. First, without any prep work, you will need to go to ONE public place (or conduct
content analysis with your social artifact) and observe the people/artifact for 25 minutes. Social Setting: Note
peoples behavior, their demeanor, their reactions/interactions to/with each other. Social artifact: from second
to second (for TV), or page to page (for print), Note themes, sounds (i.. music), texture of page (i.e. ads in
magazine), etc.
Second, you will develop a research design with research problem, hypothesis and operational definitions for
variables; then you will conduct another 25 minutes of observations.
NOTE: This assignment MUST be completed as a fresh observation for SOCI331. Homework assignments
may NOT be recycled from one course to another per the student handbook, doing so is a violation of the
student code of ethics and will result in an immediate zero.
Observation is a key type methodological skill social scientists spend years refining. It is applied throughout
our courses, and with each applied exercise you bring a more informed sociological perspective and further
refine the foundation of your own skillset. Please do not short change the process or yourself by attempting
to recycle field experiences.
PART 1
1) Choose whether or not you will be conducting non-participant observation in a social setting, or content
analysis of a social artifact
a. Social setting: this should be a public place such as a park, mall, restaurant, etc.
b. Social artifact: this may be ads in a particular magazine; one television show, a time-block of
commercials, etc.
2) For your inductive approach, you will simply choose a time and location/artifact for where you are
going to conduct your observations
3)
a. Social Setting: Go to the specified location and proceed with your observations.
i. You must be a keen social observer; a peeping Tom in the sociological sense. Take
handwritten (recommended) and/or mental notes of:
1. details about your chosen location (time of day, lighting, furniture, plants, sounds,
temperature, smell, vibe/energy, etc)
2. the people around you, not only their behavior but general information about their
sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity, gender, SES, etc);
3. your thoughts and feelings while making observations
b. Social Artifact: At a specified time (i.e. when a particular show is), carefully observe your social
artifact
i. Content analysis provides a sustained, systematic way to observe and measure the
portrayal of that reality, as opposed to the quick, impressionistic way that we normally
read consume media. Take handwritten notes of:
1. Details about the setting in the images you see (lighting, furniture, background,
vibe/energy portrayed); if audio-visual (note sounds such as pitch of voice, music,
etc)
2. Note details about the people portrayed, not only their behavior but general
information about their sociodemographic characteristics (age, race/ethnicity,
gender, SES, sexuality);
4) When you have returned from you observation, type up your notes. Review your notes for patterns in
behavior, socio-demographic characteristics, etc.
5) Write-up your observations using thick description of the location (i.e. building you were in (what is
the architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of socio-demographic characteristics: age,
race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);
6) Analyze trends you identified in your observations/content analysis. What is a possible
sociological/theoretical explanation for the trends you observed? This is best done by using sources to
provide credibility to your analyses.
PART 2
7) Based on your initial observations and written analyses, develop a specific research problem/question to
be further investigated (i.e. the variation in behavior of males versus females when entering a store with
a glass store front)
8) Identify the key variables you are going to be investigating, and develop an operational definition for
each of them. (this should include at least two variables, but not more than four). Your operational
definitions will help to provide parameters for how record variations in your observations.
9) Write a hypothesis for what you expect to observe in your second round of observations.
10) Repeat observations/content analysis
a. Social Setting this should be done at the SAME social setting at approximately the same time
of day (if you can do this one week later on the same day, it would be great!)
b. Social Artifact this should be done at the same time (if commercial block), or with the same
show, or with a different issue of the same magazine , etc.
11) When you have returned from you observation, type up your notes. Review your notes for patterns in
behavior, socio-demographic characteristics, etc. AND how they corresponded with your
expectations/hypothesis
12) Describe observations using thick description of the location (i.e. building you were in (what is the
architecture like), descriptions of people there (in terms of socio-demographic characteristics: age,
race/ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status), sounds, smells, temperature, time of day and week, etc);
13) Analyze your observations in terms of how they supported/did not support your hypothesis.
14) What is a possible sociological/theoretical explanation for the trends you observed? This is best done by
using sources to provide credibility to your analyses.
15) Discuss the differences between your inductive observations and your deductive observations. How did
the way you were observing change? How did what you observed change?
16) Briefly describe your thoughts/feelings in the two steps. Did you prefer one approach to the other?
Why/why not?
Grading Rubric
CATEGORY
Completed both
steps
Outstanding
2 pts
Above Average
1.6
Average
1.4
Below Average
1.2
Unacceptable
0-1
Observation
Description
Provided thick
description of
observations/content
analysis with a lot of
detail about social
setting and sociodemographic
characteristics of
people observed (5
pts)
Clearly identified a
specific, measurable
research problem. (3
pts)
Needed some
elaboration on
either social
setting or sociodemographic
characteristics of
people observed (4
pts)
Need significantly
more detail about
social setting or
socio-demographic
characteristics
observed; or some
elaboration on both.
(3.5 pts)
Summary of
observations lacks
detail overall. (3pt)
No summary of
norm breaking
behavior included
(0-2 pts)
Clearly identified
research problem.
(2.5 pts)
Identified a research
problem; it needs
some
refining/specification.
(2 pts)
Research problem
unclear, not easily
measured. (1.5 pts)
Research problem
not specified or
very unclear (0-1
pts)
Clearly identified
and operationalized
2+ variables that are
clearly used in the
research problem (3
pts)
Clearly identified
and
operationalized 2
variables that are
clearly used in the
research problem.
(2.5 pts)
Identified and
operationalized 2
variables that are
from the research
problem (2 pts)
Missing one
variable or
operationalization;
or variables not
clearly associated
with/from research
problem (1.5 pts)
Variables incorrect;
missing
operationalizations;
variables unrelated
to research
problem (0-1 pts)
Research
Problem/Question
Variables
identified and
operationalized
Hypothesis
Succinct hypothesis
predicts relationship
between two+
variables, based on
research problem; in
statement form. (2
pts)
Clearly applied
relevant sociological
theory(ies) to
analysis of
observations/content
analysis. (5 pts)
(1.6 pts)
Hypothesis not in
statement form;
needs to more clearly
specify relationship
between two
variables. (1.4 pts)
Hypothesis unclear;
does not specify
relationship. (1.2)
Hypothesis not
related or missing
(0-1pts)
(4 pts)
Need to more clearly
use sociological
theoy(ies) to analyze
observations/content
analysis (3.5 pts)
Analysis based
entirely on opinion,
or application to
theory unclear. (3
pts)
Did not apply
sociological theory
to analysis. (0-2
pts)
Reflection
Included discussion
of your experience
of the situation
(1pts)
(.8)
Need to elaborate on
your experience of
the situation (.7 pt)
(.6)
No discussion of
your experience of
the situation (0-.5
pts)
Compared
Inductive to
Deductive
Approach
Thoughtful
discussion about
differences between
the two approaches;
clearly illustrate
understanding of the
two approaches.
(3pts)
Included APA
formatted in-text
citations and full
references for ALL
paraphrased and
quoted work from
other sources. (1 pts)
Needed some
elaboration in
discussiong. (2.5
pts)
Need significant
elaboration about
differences between
two approaches. (2
pts)
Discussion lacks
clarity and detail
overall. (1.5 pt)
No discussion of
comparison (0-1
pts)
Minor errors in
APA formatting of
citations. (.8 pts)
Multiple errors in
APA formatting of
citations. (.7 pt)
Missing some
citations, and errors
in APA formatting.
(.6 pts)
No citations
included. (0-.5 pts)
Analysis
APA Formatted
Citations
