Scientists regularly gather data through observation. Sociologists can go a step further and ask the objects of their studies about their lives and thoughts. This upper-level course teaches students how to engage in scientific research using question-based data. It involves a mix of classroom and hands-on learning, culminating in an independent research paper.

Social scientists rely on a variety of methodologies to conduct their research, including Interviewing. In using this methodology, we pose questions to those who are somehow related to the social phenomenon we are interested in, to gain a deeper understanding of their experience with the phenomenon, their motivations, and their ways of thinking. This course teaches students in a step-by- step manner how to conduct in-depth interviews for the purpose of research. We will learn how interview data is used, how to determine who to talk with, how to develop good questions, and how to gather and interpret interview data. A key part of the course is writing a sociological research paper using interview data that you will gather during the class. This course requires a notable amount of individual and outside-of-lecture research, and is especially relevant for students who have a social research question that they want to answer.

You will need to have taken and passed Sociology 5 in order to take this course.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills