comparative methods in social sciences , i
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Comparative Methods in Social Sciences , I. Kazimierz M. Slomczynski & Irina Tomescu-Dubrow. Comparative methods – purpose. The purpose of comparative research is, as in the case of all scientific research, to test hypotheses . - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Comparative Methods in Social Sciences, I
Kazimierz M. Slomczynski
& Irina Tomescu-Dubrow
Comparative methods – purpose
The purpose of comparative research is, as in the case of all scientific research, to test hypotheses.
Hypothesis is a statement, stipulated within a given theory, about the relationship between variables (constructs) defined on some objects (units of observation) within a causal framework (time and sequencing).
In comparative sociology hypotheses deal with space and/or time.
Space and time
Space:Cross-national studies involve, explicitly or implicitly, nations
(states, countries, societies) as units of observation and at least one variable is defined on the national (country, society) level.
Time:In historical studies the same units of observations are
compared through time
Comparative methods
Comparative methods refer specifically to the methodology of comparing “something” through space and/or time.
Generally, comparative methods for cross-national research and historical research do not differ very much.
Comparative methods and comparative sociology
Clarification:• Most sociology is within-country, present-time sociology.
• Comparative methods are specific in that they address problems inherent in cross-national and/or historical studies.
• Cross-national and/or historical studies constitute comparative sociology. As it will be argued comparative sociology is a sub-discipline of sociology as such.
Traditions of comparative sociology
Karl Marx (1818-1883) and his work (Capital, 1883) on evolutionary processes of economic systems (cross-national and historical).
Max Weber (1864-1920) and his work on The Protestant Ethics and Spirit of Capitalism, 1905, (historical and cross-national).
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) and his work Suicide (1897) as an example of quantitative studies on nations' characteristics.
In his Rules of Sociological Methods, 1885, Durkheim insists that comparative sociology is not a particular branch of sociology; it is sociology itself.
Does comparative sociology constitute a paradigm?
“A paradigm is a fundamental image of the subject matter within a science. It serves to define what should be studied, what questions should be asked, how they should be asked, and what rules should be followed in interpreting the answers obtained.” (Ritzer, Sociology: A Multiple Paradigm Science, 1980: 7)
Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolution (1962)
Comparative sociology
Questions:• -- what should be studied?• -- what questions should be asked?• -- how they should be asked?• -- what rules should be followed?
Melvin Kohn's questions
1. In whose interest is cross-national research?
2. Is cross-national research distinctly different from research that compares social classes, or ethnic groups, or genders in a single country?
3. Why put the emphasis on cross-national?
4. How many nations are needed for rigorous cross-national analysis?
5. What are the costs of doing cross-national research?
6. What role does history play in cross-national interpretation?
Stages of Social Research
FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM & THEORETICAL MODEL Chose variables and specify hypothesis
PREPARATION OF RESEARCH DESIGNDefine population and select sample. Develop instruments
MEASUREMENT SAMPLING
DATA COLLECTION
DATA ORGANIZATION AND PROCESSING
ANALYSES AND INTERPRETATIONMake decisions about the fit of data and theory. Results are communicated to an
audience.(Confirm or reject your initial theory)
Typology of approaches
Hypothesis testing approach in cross-national research
The proposed typology takes into account the dependent variable (explanandum; outcome) and fits to it independent variable(s) (explanans; causes).
Typology of cross-national research
Crucial question:
What is the level of observation on which the dependent variable is defined?
For simplicity: DV describes either countries (macro) or individuals (micro)
Typology of cross-national research
Types of explanations: I. Macro-macro II. Micro-microIII. Macro-micro
Macro-macro, I.a
1. Type of explanation: macro-macro.
Both dependent variable and independent variable(s) are defined for a country as a whole. This refers to the Country-Level Data, CLD.
Quantitative Studies on Nations' Characteristics1a. Positional characteristics:
Matrix A = aij
where a is a value of variable j in country i.
Countries Country-level variables
CVAR1 CVAR2 CVAR3 CVAR4
1 25 100 1 0
2 26 123 2 1
3 11 145 5 1
4 13 135 … …
5 25 150 4 0
6 21 144 2 0
7 20 133 2 1
8 22 156 2 0
9 14 145 5 0
… … … …
N-1 15 136 3 0
N 26 135 2 1
Macro-macro, I.b
Studies of the World System and its Elements1b. Relational characteristics:
Matrix B = bkl
where b is a value of a variable showing the relationship between country k and country l
Count-ries
Countries
A B C D E F G
Visits of kings
A 0 256 0 0 36 27 0
B 24 0 9 0 0 0 0
C 0 0 0 1 3 0 57
D 0 1 1 0 1 1 90
E 0 1 2 0 0 0 20
F 12 1 2 1 5 0 13
G 1 1 2 0 5 1 0
Micro-micro
Type of explanation: micro-micro.
The dependent variable is micro (on individual level) and independent variable(s) is also micro (on individual level), but research is done in separate countries and the results are compared.
This refers to the Individual-Level Data, ILD.
Survey research in three countries
Matrix A = aij
where a is a value of variable j for individual i.
Matrix B = bij
where b is a value of variable j for individual i.
Matrix C = cij where c is a value of variable j for individual i.
Cases Individual-level variables
IVAR1 IVAR2 IVAR3 IVAR4
Country A
1 5 2 2 0
2 6 3 2 1
3 1 5 5 1
… … … … …
2499 4 6 4 0
2500 6 9 2 0
Country B
1 4 3 2 1
2 2 7 2 0
3 4 3 5 0
… … … … …
2299 5 6 3 0
2300 6 5 2 1
Country C
1 4 5 1 0
… … … … …
Macro-micro
Type of explanation: macro-micro.
The dependent variable is micro (on individual level) and independent variable(s) is macro (on country-level). This combines ILD and CLD
Matrix A = aijk
where a is a value of variable j for individual i in country k.
Cases Individual-level variables Country-level variables
IVAR1 IVAR2
IVAR3
IVAR4
CVAR1
CVAR2
CVAR
Sample from country A
1 5 2 2 0 3 0 23
2 6 3 2 1 3 0 23
3 1 5 5 1 3 0 23
… … … … … … … …
2500 6 9 2 0 3 0 23
Sample from country B
1 4 3 2 1 5 1 33
2 2 7 2 0 5 1 33
3 4 3 5 0 5 1 33
… … … … … … … …
2300 6 5 2 1 5 1 33
Sample from country B
1 4 5 1 0 7 1 53
… … … … … … … …