Methods used at the Sociocultural level of Analysis include:
1. Laboratory ExperimentsExemplified by Bandura's study on social learning theory (1965). This involved test and control samples to determine the acceptance or rejection of a hypothesis. The conditions are the same except that the IV (independent variable - in that case witnessing the adult beating up the Bobo doll) is applied to the test sample only. This also used non-participant observation, to gauge the children's behaviour under the stress.
|
2. Participant ObservationExemplified by the work of Festinger (1956). This studied the way of life of a group which believed that the world was coming to an end on December 31st of that year. Those following group's rituals, texts and ideologies would rescued by a flying saucer. Observation may be participant observation as in this study, where the researcher becomes involved in the everyday life of those being observed, or non-participant. It may be overt (with the group's knowledge) or covert. (without the group's knowledge).
|
3. Content AnalysisExemplified by Hofstede's classic study (1973). That involved studying the morale in the IBM workplace, a multi-national company employing people of many nations and cultures. Hofstede carried out a content analysis of the responses received from the 40 most represented countries in the survey. The trends were analyzed, used a source of grounded theory, and presented as cultural dimensions.
|
Ethical Considerations:
1. Informed consent - participants must know the objective of the study, that their involvement is voluntary, what the data will be used for, and if necessary be debriefed at the end of the study. In extreme cases, the ethical requirement for informed consent might be waived, when the focus of the study is of public importance and there is no other way to obtain the information.
2. Making the participants anonymous to protect them, even at risk of reducing the authenticity of the research and of preventing any follow-up study.
3. Bearing in mind that sociocultural research in an extremely sensitive issue with many ethnic group. Typically, the elders of the society must be consulted for permission to work with members of their group.
2. Making the participants anonymous to protect them, even at risk of reducing the authenticity of the research and of preventing any follow-up study.
3. Bearing in mind that sociocultural research in an extremely sensitive issue with many ethnic group. Typically, the elders of the society must be consulted for permission to work with members of their group.