Comparative Methodology
Spring, 2009/ Monday 1:00~4:00pm (140-104)
GraduateSchool of International Studies
SeoulNationalUniversity
Instructor: Young In Kwon, PhD.
Phone: 010-4221-6061 / E-mail:
Course Description
In this course students are introduced to the basic concepts and skills for conducting research projects on socio-cultural issues. This course consists of three sections; Introduction of basic philosophy and knowledge about socio-cultural research, specific inquiry and research designs, and quantitative and qualitative data gathering and analysis. As a result of taking the course, students should be able to 1) decide research designs that are applicable to their research questions, 2) understand basic principles and procedures of scientific research, and 3) evaluate quality of quantitative and qualitative studies. Students are encouraged to raise questions during and after the class, and to get in touch with the instructor regarding any kind of questions and concerns.
Course Requirements
Grades will be based on group research project (35%),. Individual homework and quiz (35%), and final exam (30%) Grades will follow a pattern of 90% = A, 80% = B, and 70% = C. Students are encouraged to use Hwp or MS word when writing all class papers and assignments. In addition, all class papers and assignments should follow APA style format.
Group research project
Students are required to conduct a research project during the semester. This is a group project, and four or five students should form a group. For the project, students are expected to choose the research subject, develop a questionnaire, and do basis analysis. Final version of the project should include introduction, literature review, method, analysis, findings, and discussion.
Individual homework and quiz
Two or three short Individual homework and quiz will be given during the course. Students have one week to answer the quiz or complete the homework. Late submission will not be accepted.
Textbook
Russell K. Schutt. (2006). Investigating the Social World. The Process and Practice of Research, 5th edition. New York: Pine Forge Press.
Course Contents (# assignment due)
Week 1 (3/2)Introduction to the course: Comparison, Comparative Method
* Schutt ch. 1
Week 2 (3/9)Research Design 1: Theory and hypothesis
* Schutt ch 2,3
* Borgonovi, F. (2008). Divided we stand, united we fall: Religious pluralism, giving and volunteering. American sociological review, 73(1), 105-128
* Philip, C. & Huffman, M. L. (2007). Working for women? Female managers and the gender wage gap. American sociological review, 72(5). 681-693.
*Otis, E. M. (2008). Beyond the Industrial Paradigm: Market-Embedded Labor and the Gender Organization of Global Service Work in China. American Sociological Review 73(1), 15-36.
(# Decide research project group)
Week 3 (3/16)Research Design 2: Conceptualization and Measurement
* Schutt ch. 4
*Beckfield, J. (2006). European Integration and Income Inequality.American SociologicalReview,71(6), 964-985.
*Duneier, M. (2006). Ethnography, the Ecological Fallacy, and the 1995 Chicago HeatWave. American Sociological Review,71(4), 679-688.
*Semyonov, M., Raijman R. & Gorodzeisky, A. (2006). The Rise of AntiforeignerSentiment in European Societies, 1988-2000. American Sociological Review, 71(3), 426-449.
(# Discuss the subject of research project)
Week 4 (3/23)Research Design 3: Conceptualization and Measurement 2 (Reliability and validity)
* Schutt ch. 4
*Oppenheim, A.N. (1992). Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement.London and New York: Pinter Publishers. Ch 9. Some Basic Measurement Theory.
Week 5 (3/30)Research Design 4: Causation
* Schutt ch 6.
* Ishii-Kuntz, M. (1997). Intergenerational relationships among Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Americans. Family Relations, 46, 23-32
* Rindfuss, R. & S. Morgan. P. (1983). Marriage, Sex and the First Birth Interval: The Quiet Revolution in Asia.Population and Development Review,9(2), 259-278.
* New York Times. January 3,2007. "A surprising secret to a long life: Stay in school."
Week 6 (4/6)Research Design 5: Survey and sampling
* Schutt 5 & 8
* Settersten, R & Hagestad, G. O. (1996). What’s the latest? Cultural age deadline for family transitions. The Gerontologist, 36(2), 178-188.
* Morton. H. (1985). Profiles ofSocial Research. The Scientific Study ofHuman Interactions. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Ch.3. Sampling Social Reality.
* Lynn Smith-Lovin. M. & Brashears. M. E. (2006). Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades. American Sociological Review,353-375.
Week 7 (4/13)Survey practice 1: Questionnaire Development
* Schutt Ch 8.
* Oppenheim, A.N. 1992. Questionnaire Design, Interviewing and Attitude Measurement. London and New York: Pinter Publishers. Ch.8. Question Wording; Ch. 10. Designing Attitude Statements; Ch.11. Attitude Scaling.
(# Complete first draft of introduction and literature review)
Week 8 (4/20)Survey practice 2: Quantitative data analysis
* Schutt 14.
Week 9 (4/27) Survey practice 3: Quantitative data analysi
Week 10 (5/4)Research Design 6: Qualitative inquiry
* Schutt 9, 10
* Ambert, A., Adler, P., Adler, P., & Detzner, D. (1995). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Journal of Marriage and the Family 57 (4), 879-893.
* Mertens, D. M. (1998). Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative and qualitative approaches (pp. 159-190). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
* LaRossa, R. (2005). Grounded theory methods and qualitative family research. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 837-857.
Week 11 (5/11)Survey practice 3: Conducting survey
Week 12 (5/18)Research Design 7: Experiment
* Schutt ch. 7.
*Kogut, B. & Zander. U. (2000). Did Socialism Fail to Innovate? A Natural Experiment
of the Two Zeiss Companies. American Sociological Review,65, 169-190.
*Schuman, H. & Bobo. L. (1988). Survey-based Experiments on White RacialAttitudes toward Residential Integration. American Journal ofSociology, 94(2), 273-299.
Week 13 (5/25)Presentation of Group Project
* Schutt ch. 15.
Week 14 (6/1)Research Design 7: Mixed Method
* Laub, John H., and Robert J. Sampson. 1998. Integrating quantitative and qualitative data. In Janet Z. Giele and Glen H. Elder (eds.) Methods of Life Course Research. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
* DePoy E, Gitlin LN (1994) Integrating methods, designs, and purposes, In 'Introduction to Research: Multiple strategies for health and human services' pp. 146-159.
* Devah. P. & Quillian. L. (2005). Walking the Talk? What Employers Say Versus What They Do. American Sociological Review, 70(3), 355-380.
Week 15 (6/8)Final Examination
# Research project due