Welcome to Sociology 302
Claude Oscar Monet: Water Lilies (1906)
Changing the World for the Better
1. Approaches to Reducing Social Problems
• Give money.
• Volunteer.
• Public sociology: Working on the front lines.
2. The Scientific Approach
• Discover cause and effect.
• Suggest programs and policies to direct public
sociology.
• Help implement programs and policies.
• Evaluate programs and policies.
Changing the World for the Better
3. Elements of the Scientific Approach
• Theory.
• Method.
4. The Goal of Sociology 302
• Learn how to discover cause and effect.
• Translate our passion for making the world a
better place into effective action, by learning
how to discover how society really works.
Outline of the Course
1. An Introduction to Inquiry
• The scientific method.
• Hypothesis construction.
• Standard error and research methods.
• Science and intelligent design.
2. Measurement of Abstract Concepts
• Measurement of abstract concepts.
• Indexes, scales, and typologies.
• Validity and reliability.
Outline of the Course
3. Observation, Sampling
• Experiments.
• Survey research.
• Question wording.
• The logic of sampling.
• Evaluation research.
4. Quantitative Design and Analysis
• The elaboration model.
• Research design.
• Social statistics.
• Quantitative data analysis.
Outline of the Course
5. Qualitative Design and Analysis
• Qualitative methods.
• Qualitative data analysis.
• The ethics and politics of social research.
• Reading and writing sociological research.
Sociology and Common Sense
1. Cause and Common Sense
• All human behavior can be explained with a
common sense explanation.
2. Common Sense and Reality
• Not all common sense explanations are correct.
3. Reality and Interpretation
• Sociology is the science of discovering which
common sense explanation happens to be the
correct one.
• Or maybe we just make it up (postmodernism).
The Structure of Sociology 302
1. The Course
• http://www.soc.iastate.edu/sapp/soc302.html
• Recommended textbook.
• Course packet at ISU Bookstore.
• Dr. Sapp’s office hours.
2. Exams
• Five exams.
• Two short-answer questions each.
• Help sheets are provided on the web site.
The Structure of Sociology 302
3. Quizzes
• Ten quizzes at 10 points each.
• 5 multiple-choice questions at 2 points each.
• Instructions are posted on the web site.
4. Papers
• Three papers at 20 points each.
• Instructions are posted on the web site.
5. Attendance
• Four points deduction for each unexcused
absence after three.
The Instructor: Dr. Steve Sapp
1. Has Experience In…
• Laboratory experiments.
• Field experiments.
• Survey research.
• Case studies.
• In-depth interviewing.
• Focus groups.
• Content analysis.
• Unobtrusive research.
The Instructor: Dr. Steve Sapp
2. Does Not Have Experience In…
• Ethnographies.
• Participatory action research.
• Evaluation research.
The Instructor: Dr. Steve Sapp
1. Office Hours
• MWF, 9-10.
• When you arrive at my door.
• Best to make an appointment.
2. Help Sessions
• At 5:00 p.m. prior to each exam.
3. Grading
• Standard curve.
4. Extra Credit
• Nope.
The Instructor: Dr. Steve Sapp
Class Decorum
• On time.
• Newspapers, laptops, cell-phones.
• Studying, napping, texting.