Sociologist requires research and analysis of the social status quo and problems covering a wide range, from social action or interpersonal interaction at the micro level to social system, structure, and social network at the macro level. The proposed position requires research of Chinese and American law, ethics, economics, politics, anthropology, psychology, history, and other disciplines.
This requires the skill set to systematically study social behavior and human groups across international borders, using multiple research methods.
The position requires traditional research objects including social stratification, social class, social mobility, social religion, social law, social politics, and social humanities. Social status and problems need to be analyzed in the fields of social organization, social stratification and social mobility, race relations, education, family, social psychology, cities, countryside, law, politics and comparative sociology, gender roles and relationships, demographic geography, gerontology, criminal psychology and sociological applications.
The research method of social investigation is to scientifically clarify the social living conditions and the law of social development on the basis of systematically and directly collecting the experience materials about social phenomena, through the analysis and synthesis of the materials, to understand the new phenomena, problems and situations constantly emerging through social investigation, and to make scientific explanations, explanations and proposals on these problems by using social theory.
The proferred position requires collection of data, which requires mastery and use of the following main methods:
Observation method. This is the initial method of collecting first-hand information. Observation can be divided into direct observation and indirect observation. Direct observation can be divided into participatory observation and non-participatory observation.
Interview. This is done through conversation and inquiry to collect the responses, opinions and suggestions of the respondents, including criticism and refutation. This requires the ability to synthesize the collected information that is usually abundant and in-depth, in order to determine what portions, if any are true and objective.
Questionnaire method. This is the main means of collecting quantitative data. The procedure requires designing questionnaires, collecting answers, and then quantifying the answers to measure or evaluate the characteristics of the respondents. The data obtained by scale and test is also a kind of quantitative measurement record. This method is especially suitable for accurate measurement of personal characteristics.
Literature method. This requires access to public sources of publications and archives of relevant organizations or individuals to obtain the information and documentation needed by the Petitioner.
Experimental research methods. This requires artificially controlling the environment, situation and influential factors, and then manipulating the causal variables to examine the causal relationship between variables.
Case study method. This requires sampling of a small number of representative social units such as individuals, groups, communities, etc., to make a long-term, in-depth investigation, to understand its detailed situation and development process. It includes the investigation of the life or development history of individuals and groups, the understanding of behavioral motivation and social and cultural background, and the analysis of the complex relationship between social units and the whole social environment.
Indirect research methods. This requires using second-hand data to study historical events and social situation and their problems. It includes the textual research of historical documents, the comparison of social and historical development process, the collation and analysis of statistical documents,the interpretation of theoretical documents, and the quantitative analysis of information content in written materials, etc.