Methods of Testing Theories in Sociology

Sociology is the study of the human society. Before a theory in such field is considered to be reliable and true, different tests must be in place. Sociologists use three main methods to test theories: (1) surveys, (2) controlled experiments, and (3) filed observation.

Surveys, sometimes referred to public opinion poll, is the widely accepted ways of studying human behavior. Using variables, surveys measure people’s attitude towards different matters. Sociology often studies the relationship between a viewpoint and a subject while considering elements like education, age, and gender.

Questionnaires are usually given to a controlled group where they will answer either worded or objective type questions. The survey questions also ask about their background and demographic information. Through this method of data gathering, information such as consumer habits, racial discrimination, and other human behavior and activity are provided. In addition, surveys answer issues in the society to have a clear understanding concerning the problems involved.

Experiments. Some of the experiments are conducted in a laboratory and in small groups. In some cases, a two groups are studied for contrasting and comparing. They want to know the significant difference in the attitudes and behavior of certain groups.

Field Observation. Information is primarily gathered through observations and talk within the community. During th period of study, the sociologist will participate in societal activities such as political activities, networks, and functions.

Field observation gives first-hand information about a group of people, but is least reliable method of testing theories. A fact can be true to community A, but cannot be applied to community B. Additionally, there are also outside factors that may influence the the conclusions made.

The study sociology is a group of indisputable conclusions that are diverse. The information is well gathered. Unlike biology and physical sciences, sociology is less precise due to changing human behavior.

Role of Sociology in Nursing

Nursing is more than just taking blood samples, recording patient data or assisting the physician. Nurses are well-educated and prepared to handle sophisticated tasks and procedures to best assist the patients towards recovery. Additionally, learning the medical terms as well as the procedures is not their only job. Nurses, to be more effective, must be able to learn the proper way of approaching their patients. They must also be able to understand how people think, feel and react. This may seem like a job for a psychologist, but it is very important to be able to provide quality and effective health care services.

As a nurse, you will be able to experience different types of patients with different health issues and from different social backgrounds. Patients react differently on a particular condition or medication which will have a direct impact on their recovery. Through the knowledge of sociology, nurses will be able to look past what is obvious. It will give them another perspective of the situation which will give an idea on what approach or medication to take.

Incorporating sociology in nursing helps develop skills that will make nurses provide nursing care to patients in a more effective way by considering many other factors and forces that directly affect recovery and care. Determining the factors that may hinder recovery or promote it may help avoid malpractice and fast track recovery.

The fast recoveries of the patients don’t just depend on the quality of the medicines the patient took or the use of the advanced medical facilities, it also depends on how well the nurses determine the true needs of the patient.

Gender Definition Through Biology or Sociology

One of the justifications for creating discriminatory regulations and public requirements on the basis of gender is that men and women are not the same and so they should be handled in a different way. It’s true that men and women have different systems (it’s essential to comprehend there are plenty of resemblances also. For example, we all have two hands and two feet, don’t we?) But does that mean one type of human is better than the other?

gender_sociologyWe come across many content in the press that discuss experiments that show males are better at math, while females are better at languages; men do not talk much, while women talk a lot. Many of us agree to these outcomes as fact without examining the ‘proof.’ Is it because of biology that one gender is better at something, or is it because of sociology? Often it’s challenging to separate your scientific identification from your sociological one because public training starts from a very young age. Once you are old enough to analyze yourself, you will discover that you have already adopted many stereotypes. Does a six-year-old female work with baby dolls because she has a natural tendency towards doing so, or because baby dolls are what everyone presents her and baby dolls are what other females of her age are playing with? Does a boy not cry when he hurts himself because he’s a ‘tough’ kid, or because he’s been taught that boys shouldn’t cry? Does a man not talk as much as a lady because he is not chatty, or because he’s been trained to keep his feelings to himself?

Let’s take the commonly organized idea that young children are better at left-brain actions like math and reasoning. If one were to take a general look at the student inhabitants in technological innovation universities or the ITs, one might think that this is indeed real. But this supposition is a very simple one and does not look at the complicated aspects that make up our social standards. We reside in a community where a girl’s right to nourishment and knowledge, among other factors, is prioritized over a woman’s. Even if they are from a well-to-do family and do not experience such primary discrimination, women are often raised to be less committed and more home-oriented so that they can be ‘married off’ early. When there is discrimination at so many stages on the basis of gender, it is not amazing that the variety of women in challenging professional programs is reduced than that of young children. This has more to do with sociocultural and sociology aspects based on gender identification, rather than biological gender.

Public Sociology

In the last several years, the term “public sociology” has become progressively typical among sociologists. As President of the American Sociological Organization in 2004, Eileen Burawoy motivated sociologists to think beyond the educational custom of discussing our concepts only with other experts in educational publications. Burawoy described public sociology as “a conversation between sociology and publics” which could take on many forms: a weblog like this, which is designed to discuss concepts from sociology to sociologists and non-sociologists as well, for instance; and community activism, where sociologists use theory and analysis outcomes to create social transformation. Even educating our classes can be regarded a way of public sociology; most learners who take sociology programs do not become sociologists, but they are all members of a community. Considering sociologically is a device to analyze our lifestyles and our group more seriously.

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Doing “public sociology” provides some difficulties too. First, discussing our analysis beyond the limitations of the self-discipline can mean our outcomes are misunderstood or misstated, sometimes in an attempt to make them easier to comprehend by laypeople. Part of what sociologists do is to try and comprehend these technicalities and to offer detail to daily problems that seem easy. The task of public sociology is to do our best to describe complex problems simply. We want sociological thinking to be part of the story, we just cannot always control how much sociology penetrates in.

We might scale from current analysis, but it is not unusual for journalists to ask us to talk beyond our specialty. A few decades ago, while discussing to a writer about analysis outcomes just like her story, she pointedly said, “you have not responded to my query,” as though I was an elected politician intentionally concealing something from her. We cannot always answer their questions, nor should we if they are too far beyond the opportunity of the analysis we are acquainted with. Another challenge with introducing sociological ideas in a community is that public discussion itself can be harmful, especially when governmental issues are involved. One sociologist who studies governmental motions was a regular target of a talk radio host and even got death threats.

Sociology to the Public

Providing sociology to wider community exposure and impact is perhaps the greatest and most primary objective for this field, showing the overarching perception that sociological study and education is essential to creating and keeping an excellent society and that it’s often losing from press protection and comments, governmental discussion and attention. To that end, one of the primary projects is to recognize, sometimes repackage and do everything we can to distribute the scholarly public science that is of most attention, transfer and importance to the community.

sociologyIt is also good to be enthusiastic about growing sociological information and knowing wherever and whenever we find it, even if its writers do not even call what they are doing “sociology.” This is what you might call “found” sociology. One came in information of a younger documented film-maker known as Eugene Jarecki who was working on a film about prisoners providing life in jail for various medication violations. It was a quotation from Jarecki himself that was very interesting: “And yet making a film about individual experiences is a snare. The viewers walk out thinking not about the bigger issues, the system, but about the person they liked.” The quotation just hopped off the charts. It is a better, more brief, more emotional summary of the issue of a sociological viewpoint.

The other tale was brief, but provided a complex set of concepts and factors from the estimable Jeffrey Toobin. In the content, Toobin had written of voter ID regulations and the Supreme Court’s choice to review the milestone 1965 Voting Rights Act (“the most efficient law of its type in the history of the United States”). To start with, some excellent sociological backdrop and alignment rests in the backdrop of the item. One is historical: according to Toobin, The Roberts Court believes factors have modified in the South since the Sixties. As the Chief Justice asked at one point: “Is it your place that these days, Southerners are more likely to differentiate than Northerners?” Whatever your response to that query, Toobin makes it obvious that the actual problems have, as he places it, “moved on and mutated.”