Like other social scientists, sociologists carefully observe human behavior and ask questions about what forces drive certain patterns in this behavior—they seek to understand human interaction in the context of society. In doing so, sociologists look not only at the behavior of individuals and groups but also at the structural systems that influence behavior. Writing in sociology demands that you take a sociological perspective that views human behavior as “mediated, shaped, channeled, and influenced by social relationships and social systems.”[1]
Most papers in sociology require that you use the sociological perspective defined above to form an argument whose thesis is supported by acceptable evidence. In a sociological argument, you must:
· be clear in stating your thesis.
· form explanations and draw conclusions that are grounded in appropriate evidence (see below). Depending on the type of writing assignment, sometimes this evidence is textual and sometimes this evidence is empirical (observed and collected).
Analysis and Evaluation
Many writing assignments in sociology courses ask you to move beyond summary of texts or data. This means that in defending your thesis, you will be asked to analyze and evaluate texts or data. For example, you might be asked to critically evaluate a book, article, or set of texts to demonstrate a defensible idea, or you might be asked to analyze data you have collected to demonstrate a defensible conclusion.
Evidence
As an empirical field, sociology accepts documented and carefully collected evidence. Whether you are making a critical argument about a text or set of texts, a theoretical argument, or a data-oriented argument, you must substantiate your argument with evidence that reflects observable examples of patterns in social behavior. For each claim you make, ask yourself, “how do I know this?”
In sociology, accepted evidence generally falls into two categories. Even if you are writing a paper whose argument is based on reading of secondary texts, you should be aware of these types of data:
· Quantitative data measure subjects’ or objects’ behaviors or characteristics that differ in quantity. Quantitative data are expressed numerically and often are based on experiments, content analysis of written documents, surveys, and statistics. For example, you might look at how many couples in a particular group decide not to have children, how many employees in a particular organization use food stamps, or how many people in a particular group commit crimes.
Qualitative data focus on variables that differ in quality rather than kind.Qualitative data—often based on observation, interviews, and texts—express qualities of behavior and can be used to
[1]Johnson, William A.; Richard P. Rettig; Gregory M. Scott; and Stephen M. Garrison.2006. The Sociology Student Writer’s Manual. 5thed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.