In 2015, 87% of the surveyed Americans attributed themselves to a middle class, which shows their unawareness of what this term actually stands for. This example illustrates people’s reliance on their personal views or experience in understanding how society works. However, sociology as a science does not consider intuitive assumptions but uses the research method instead, the key to which is defining the concepts to study. A definition has to be clear and informative enough to eliminate misinterpretation and incorrect use of the term.
Another concept that needs defining is a variable, a measure that can vary depending on different criteria. Simply put, an investigator should have a coherent idea of what and how they are going to measure. The essential point is to remember that a measurement that only involves two variations cannot be consistent enough. Having measured two variables, it is possible to assume a link between them and formulate a hypothesis.
Variables can be independent which means they affect other variables and dependent that are affected. A hypothesis states that a change in the independent variable causes changes independent ones. However, a correlation does not necessarily mean a cause-and-effect relationship, therefore, two variables can change independently or be both dependent on a third one.
The next step is data collection which can be done by observation, surveys, or experiments with a reference to existing resources. Experiments are conducted in exactly the same way as in any other science. A survey can take multiple forms but it always requires a sample, a small group of respondents who represent the category of people under the review. As for participant observation, this method is descriptive rather than quantitative and presupposes observing people’s daily routines. Notwithstanding the type of investigation, a researcher has to appreciate the privacy of the participants and adhere to the principles of ethics.