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Sociology 2040: The Sociological Imagination & Research Design

Abbreviated course outline

Dr. Linda Cohen, Ph.D. (Sociology)

"How do we, as sociologists, situate ourselves in the world? Once we expand and apply our sociological imaginations, how does that inform how we think about the world and how we study the world? In this course we will explore our sociological imaginations in the context of research design and processes. Sociology typically begins with things that are already problems for people; with the puzzles behind the headlines and peoples' life experiences on-the-ground. You will learn how to recognize the difference between private issues and public problems" (van den Scott, 2023).

The course will be remote in the Winter of 2024 which means we still have classes, but via computer instead of in a classroom. We will begin with an overview of the sociological imagination and research orientation, design, and ethics. The second section concentrates on Quantitative thinking and methods. These first two sections and the first part of the third will be tested on the 2 midterm exams. The third section of the course focuses on Qualitative thinking and methods, and the connections between Quantitative and Qualitative thinking. It will be tested on the final exam. Despite this segmentation, each section links to all the others.

Lectures are supplemented with videos, activities and discussions designed to promote sociological and critical thought.

Learning Objectives

The main course objective of Sociology 2040 is to have students draw on their sociological imaginations to visualize future research.

More specifically, students will:

  • Distinguish between research design, methodology & methods.
  • Reflect on ethical issues in research.
  • Ask sociological questions!!!
  • Learn the basic concepts needed in qualitative and quantitative sociological research.
  • Practice some of the skills needed in future courses and research.
  • Understand the link between theory and method.

    • Required texts and course materials

    • Any additional readings (journal articles, excerpts from ethnographies) and online video are listed in the Syllabus, to be handed out in class. Most will be online or accessible through the Queen Elizabeth II library. They are usually available in PDF format; you will need Adobe Reader to view PDF files.

      Social Research Methods 6th ed.

    Evaluation *
    Class participation (throughout the term) : 10%
    5 small Assignments : 25%
    1st Midterm examination ****: 20%
    2nd Midterm examination****: 20%
    Final examination **** 25%

    *** Please note that:

  • All exams will be written in a classroom on the St. John's campus, NOT online!!
  • This evaluation may change at the beginning of the semester.

    • Specific directions for each assessment will be discussed in class.

    Communication

    Office hours will be announced at the beginning of the semester and you will have daily access to online communications in the course Brightspace site. Feel free to email me (Linda Cohen) with any questions you have. Other addresses:





    MUN's home page

    Department of Sociology, MUN

    Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning




    ©Linda Cohen, 2023 (since 2003)