Aspects Of Social Life

If I could study one aspect of social life, I would be interested in researching the interactions of teenagers and how they fit into and form social groups in high school. I would use qualitative methods such as participant observation, field research, and focus groups to study them. Concerning this topic, qualitative methods would be the most useful because I would be able to observe and research the participants directly. I am interested in researching this topic because I believe the general social structure of our society can be reflected in the social groups within a high school. A literature review is critical in conducting research because it can help narrow down the researcher’s ideas as well as help them see other perspectives on the …show more content…
I would specifically research the social structure of the high school and how the students apply social status and social norms to their interactions. This would be a good example of microsociology in the sense that we can see society on a smaller scale within a high school. Within this community we can observe the mixing of different cultures, status and how they adapt to fit in with what they perceive to be the social norms. Qualitative methods would best be applied to study this specific topic because they focus on in depth modes of observation, which is critical in studying the behaviors. Participant Observation, where the researcher places themselves in the situation they are studying, is the best method to research this topic because the researcher would be able to see the interactions between peers first hand. Field Research, where the researcher directly observes the participants behavior, would also be a useful method because the researcher would be able to see the direct connections between the students without interfering. Focus groups would be a good way to interview the students and observe the general interactions between them to account for the population as a whole. The focus groups could account for specific social groups within the high school as well as what year they are in and …show more content…
With content analysis a researcher is able to narrow down their topic and see what they are researching through a different perspective. Assessing Theory and Literature is the first step to developing a good research project. Reviewing articles and reports by other researchers on the topic at hand will assist a researcher in choosing the most effective research questions and creating a solid hypothesis. Reviewing past literature will also help with choosing the proper research methods either by reflecting the effectiveness of their research or the ineffectiveness of the study so the researcher knows to try a different method. Literature review is also useful in the case that a researcher comes across a certain method they would like to replicate they would see the results of the method and compare their findings for reliability. Reading past analysis on a certain topic will help a researcher draw conclusions and help them decide whether or not they should expand on their findings. The sociology literature I find most intriguing are articles on body language and how it influences communication. I find physical communication so interesting because it is something that everyone does and it has so much influence on a conversation and interaction whether or not a person realizes