Units of Analysis as Related to Sociology

Units of Analysis as Related to Sociology Units of analysis are the objects of study within a research project. In sociology, the most common units of analysis are individuals, groups, social interactions, organizations and institutions, and social and cultural artifacts. In many cases, a research project can require multiple units of analysis. Overview Identifying your units of analysis is an important part of the research process. Once you have identified a research question, you will have to select your units of analysis as part of the process of deciding on a research method and how you will operationalize that method. Lets review the most common units of analysis and why a researcher might choose to study them. Individuals Individuals are the most common units of analysis within sociological research. This is the case because the core problem of sociology is understanding the relationships between individuals and society, so we routinely turn to studies composed of individual people in order to refine our understanding of the ties that bind individuals together into a society. Taken together, information about individuals and their personal experiences can reveal patterns and trends that are common to a society or particular groups within it, and can provide insight into social problems and their solutions. For example, researchers at the University of California-San Francisco found through interviews with individual women who have had abortions that the vast majority of women do not ever regret the choice to terminate the pregnancy. Their findings prove that a common right-wing argument against access to abortionthat women will suffer undue emotional distress and regret if they have an abortionis base d on myth rather than fact. Groups Sociologists are keenly interested in social ties and relationships, which means that they often study groups of people, be they large or small. Groups can be anything from romantic couples to families, to people who fall into particular racial or gender categories, to friend groups, to whole generations of people (think Millennials and all the attention they get from social scientists). By studying groups sociologists can reveal how social structure and forces affect whole categories of people on the basis of race, class, or gender, for example. Sociologists have done this in pursuit of understanding a wide range of social phenomena and problems, like for example this study that proved that living in a racist place leads to Black people having worse health outcomes than white people; or this study that examined the gender gap across different nations to find out which are better or worse at advancing and protecting the rights of women and girls. Organizations Organizations differ from groups in that they are considered more formal and, well, organized ways of collecting people together around specific goals and norms. Organizations take many forms, including corporations, religious congregations and whole systems like the Catholic Church, judicial systems, police departments, and social movements, for example. Social scientists who study organizations might be interested in, for example, how corporations like Apple, Amazon, and Walmart impact various aspects of social and economic life, like how we shop and what we shop for, and what work conditions have become normal and/or problematic within the U.S. labor market. Sociologists who study organizations might also be interested in comparing different examples of similar organizations to reveal the nuanced ways in which they operate, and the values and norms that shape those operations. Cultural Artifacts Sociologists know that we can learn a lot about our society and ourselves by studying the things that we create, which is why many of us cultural artifacts. Cultural artifacts are all the things that are created by humans, including the built environment, furniture, technological devices, clothing, art and music, advertising and languagethe list is truly endless. Sociologists who study cultural artifacts might be interested in understanding what a new trend in clothing, art, or music reveals about the contemporary values and norms of the society that produces it and those who consume it, or they might be interested in understanding how advertising might impact norms and behavior, especially in terms of gender and sexuality, which has long been fertile ground for social science research. Social Interactions Social interactions also take a wide variety of forms and can include anything from making eye contact with strangers in public, purchasing items in a store, conversations, engaging in activities together, to formalized interactions like weddings and divorces, hearings, or court cases. Sociologists who study social interactions might be interested in understanding how larger social structures and forces shape how we behave and interact on a daily basis, or how they shape traditions like Black Friday shopping or weddings. They might also be interested in understanding how social order is maintained. Research has shown that this is done in part by intentionally ignoring each other in crowded public spaces.

Touch Someones Heart With Grateful Quotes

Touch Someones Heart With Grateful Quotes Wally Lambs I cried because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet, conveys a simple message: count your blessings.Often, you fail to appreciate simple pleasures and little blessings. You keep your eyes peeled for the big prize. A fancy car? Of course, you want it. An exotic vacation in the Far East? Sounds wonderful! A bigger house uptown? Sure. But what about the things you already have? Are you not grateful for that blessing called life?You can go on and on adding items to your wishlist; little realizing the precious seconds you waste by agonizing over unfulfilled dreams. When you see your wealthy neighbor show off his brand new Porsche, you may feel that yours is a life half lived. But instead of focusing on your object of envy, try focusing on the goodness of life. Material desires come and go, what remains with us is our ability to enjoy life and make the most of it. Ambition Is Not Bad, Greed Is It is not wrong to have ambition. By all means, keep your lofty goals in sight. Your ambition can be fueled by your passions, dreams, and desires. But dont fuel your ambition with greed. The hunger for success is not the same as the greed for fame. Greed is a selfish need to achieve ones objectives, even at the cost of others. Ambition propels you to innovate while living by the rules of fair play. Ambition is good for you; greed only makes you less grateful. Learn to Be Grateful As Joseph Addison rightly said, Gratitude is the best attitude. It takes more than humility to be grateful. Gratitude is ingrained into your psyche through social conditioning. Parents and teachers teach kids the magic words: Im sorry, please, thank you, excuse me, and youre welcome in preschool. As you mingle with others in social situations, you learn social etiquette that deems it necessary to express gratitude at appropriate occasions. Are you a Grateful Person? However, mere expressions of gratitude may not reveal whether a person is truly grateful. It could simply be lip service, or politeness, conveying nothing about the persons true feelings. If you are a grateful person, you can convey your appreciation in more than just words. Did your mom help you when you were sick? After you get well, celebrate your good health with your mother. Did your friend lend you the money you needed to set up shop? Repay the loan not only with interest but also with kindness. Did your friend help you get over a breakup? Hug your friend while saying, thanks, and promise to stick together in good and bad times. Make sure to live up to that promise. Express Thanks With Grateful Quotes Why stop at thank you, when you can say more? With grateful quotes, your words will tug at heartstrings. The listener will feel overpowered with the emotion contained in these quotes. Your generous words will win over friends.Richard CarlsonPeople who live the most fulfilling lives are the ones who are always rejoicing at what they have.Anthony RobbinsWhen you are grateful fear disappears and abundance appears.Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.Nancy Leigh DeMossThe grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment; it is the fruit of a thousand choices.SenecaNothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.Elizabeth CarterRemember that not to be happy is not to be grateful.Edgar Watson HoweNothing tires a man more than to be grateful all the time.Francois RochefoucauldWe seldom find people ungrateful so long as it is thought we can serve them.John MiltonA grateful mindBy owing owes not, but still pays, at onceIndebted and discharged. Henry Ward BeecherA proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.Robert SouthThe grateful person, being still the most severe exacter of himself, not only confesses but proclaims his debts.George HerbertThou who hast given so much to me, give me one more thing... a grateful heart!Steve MaraboliThose who have the ability to be grateful are the ones who have the ability to achieve greatness.Mary WrightWhen you say thank you it makes me feel like everything is good!Henry ClayCourtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.Lionel HamptonGratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.Marcel ProustLet us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.Melody BeattieGratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.Chinese ProverbWhen eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man wh o planted them.†Mary WrightThere is only one way to say thank you and thats just too straight up say, â€Å"Thank you.G. K. ChestertonI would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.Sarah Ban BreathnachEvery time we remember to say â€Å"thank you†, we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.Albert SchweitzerTrain yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude.Benjamin CrumpYour presence today spoke volumes. Thank you all for the support.Jill GriffinLearn to say thank you every time.