SOCI247 Family and Modern Society Assignment 2 Brief | McGill University

SOCI247 Assignment Brief 

Part 1: Introduction and Literature Review (approximately 250 words)

Select one (only one!) research topic from the following six options. Briefly introduce the topic and justify your choice.

Topic 1: Voluntary work
Topic 2: Antisocial behaviour
Topic 3: Public opinions on climate change
Topic 4: Self-rated health
Topic 5: Sexual education
Topic 6: Attitudes towards the criminal justice system’s effectiveness and fairness

Literature review: Summarise what previous research says about your topic. Find and use only academic sources (peer-reviewed journal articles, books, or book chapters). Point out what is missing in the literature so far (e.g., a socio-demographic or economic factor that is less researched in relation to your outcome). This is where you explain how your study could add something new. (For extra points) Reference a prominent theory related to your research topic

Part 2: Hypothesis Formulation and Operationalisation (approximately 150 words)

Formulate a Hypothesis: Based on the evidence and arguments from the literature, write a clear and concise hypothesis that reflects the association you intend to investigate. Your hypothesis should specify a variable of interest (the outcome or dependent variable) and another variable expected to be related to it (the independent variable).

Example: For Topic 1, you might hypothesise: “Higher levels of human capital are associated with greater engagement in voluntary work”, or “Women are more likely to volunteer than men.”

The hypothesis must be testable using the data from one of the three provided social surveys (see Part 3). To do this, you’ll need to review the user guide for each survey and identify the list of variables included in the survey, which will help you determine if that data source fits your research.

Operationalisation: Discuss how you might operationalise your main concepts (e.g., how you would ideally measure concepts like human capital and voluntary work).

Part 3: Survey Selection and Design Analysis (approximately 500 words)

Choose one (only one!) of the following three social surveys that can best help you investigate your chosen topic and hypothesis. Click on each link to download the user guide and questionnaire.

British Social Attitudes (BSA) Survey 2017: user guide and questionnaire
Crime Survey for England and Wales 2017-2018: user guide and questionnaire
The British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) 2010-2012: user guide and questionnaire

Identify relevant details related to the survey you selected (by consulting the user guide) and assess their appropriateness by referencing methodological literature where necessary. Be sure to address the following aspects:

Explain why you chose this survey and how it aligns with your research topic.
Identify the survey’s target population and discuss its relevance to your research.

Describe the sampling strategy and evaluate its appropriateness for your study. Discuss the mode of data collection and its impact on data quality. Assess the sample size, response rate, and representativeness of data, and how they influence the reliability of the results.

Part 4: Questionnaire Design and Variable Measurement (approximately 350 words)

Identify relevant details related to question design (by consulting the questionnaire) and assess their appropriateness by referencing methodological literature where necessary.

Be sure to address the following aspects:

Identify relevant survey questions for your outcome and explanatory variables and justify their appropriateness.

Analyse the question wording, response options, and potential biases.
Determine the level of measurement for both variables.

Part 5: Conclusion and Reflection (approximately 250 words)

Improving the survey: Based on previous critical reflection (Part 3 and Part 4), briefly reflect on how you would improve the survey if you had the means to conduct your own quantitative data collection. Consider aspects such as sampling, question design, and data collection methods.

Introducing an additional explanatory variable: Suggest an additional explanatory variable that may be related to your outcome variable. Briefly justify your choice with support from the literature. (Optional, if space allows)

Contextual reflection: Discuss how focusing on the UK only may impact your findings. Address the specificity of the British context and consider how testing your hypothesis using data from other countries could enhance your conclusions.

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SOCI247 Assignment 2

This 1500-word assessment will allow you to demonstrate your understanding of key concepts covered in the first five weeks of the module, including social surveys, sampling, representative samples, modes of data collection, questionnaire design, variables, and levels of measurement. You will apply these concepts to a real research scenario, using the research topics and social surveys provided below. Your task is to design a research study that looks at the relationship between two variables, formulate a hypothesis, and evaluate whether a specific secondary data source (i.e., a survey) would be suitable for testing it. You are not asked to carry out any data analysis or actually test your hypothesis at this stage — that will come later in Assessed Assignment Two. The assignment accounts for 50% of your overall grade in SOCI247.

Submission Guidelines:

Length: The total word count for this assessment should be 1500 words. Your list of references/bibliography does not contribute to the word count.

NB: a 10% margin above or below the word limit is permitted; however, you are encouraged to keep your writing as close as possible to 1,500 words, as this is preferred.

Format: The assessment should be typed with double spacing, using a 12-point font.

Citations: You must use the Harvard citation style for all references.

Deadline: Due before 2pm on Friday October 31st, 2025

My notes from the video from teacher :

Every part is broken down 3-4 references

Part 3 go onto those links , no more , questionnaire

Find your two factors within those questionnaires Asked to design a study that looks at the relationships between two variables , and that would use data generated via an existing sample survey Not being asked to design a survey , what were being asked to do is to design a study that would use/anayalyse data that would be herniated by an existing sample survey 3 samples surveys Propose study should relate to one of the following topic area:

Topic 1: voluntary work
Topi 2: antisocial behaviour
Topic 3: public opinions on climate change
Topic 4 : self rated health
Topic 5: sexual education
Topic 6: attitudes towards the criminal justice systems effectiveness and fairness

Basics. – variables and survey questions

Deign a study that would involve looking at the relationship between two variables and that would use data generated via ana established sample survey to do so..

Variable = just things that vary in between ndviual differences e.g. age different ages

How to produce data on this: ask questions part of a survey e.g what is ur age in years?
—by asking a question of a group of people
– try to generate data on that variable
– data that tells us how age varies amongst that group of people who we asked that question.

Surveys =involve asking people more than one question

• number of different variables
• 3 sample surveys = good examples of how big social science sample surveys 100 question
• They measure and produce data about a number of different variables

Information 3 big sample surveys

• crime survey for England and wales (CSEW)
• British social attitudes survey (BSA)
• National survey of sexual attitude survey and lifestyles (NATSAL)

— In each case there is a copy of the questions asked in that survey (the questionnaire )

And What variables are being measured in these surveys

First steps for submission:

1. Pick on the topics listed

2. Looking at the questionnaires that they’ve provided us (looking to see what questions have been asked that are related to those topics/ produce data that relate to those topics) = each question is an attempt to ternate data about a particular variable e.g Attitude, experience, behaviour , opinion

3. Pick a single question on the basis that its measuring something of interest

4. Pick ANOTHER variable that’s being measured in the same survey , needs to be something that needs to be related to the first variable

A worked example : suggested topic : fear of crime

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WATTACK (ASK ALL MODULE C RESPONDENTS)

PINK SHOW CARD M2

(How worried are you about….) being physically attacked by strangers?

1. Very worried

2. Fairly worried

3. Not very worried

4. Not at al worried

5. (Not applicable)

Interviewer has long guide includes instructions ask all module respondents (asked questions in different module to respondents )

Attempt too produce data on levels of worry about being attacked by strangers that tells us how this varies between people

• first variable = can think about this as our outcome or dependent variable = smoothing that we think might be affected by something else/ something we think is dependent upon something else/ outcome of some other factor amongst that group of people

Identify one particular variable on the basis of a question being asked on the CSEW – what might explain the level of someone’s worry about being attacked by strangers

• E.g look at the literature and existing research to determine what this variable might be related too
• identify a range of factors and decide i am particularly interest in how level of worry about being attacked by strangers might be assoiscated with age

Example: Age

Age -10 (ask all)

Can you tell me your/ (name)’s age last birthday?

INTERVIEWER: ASK THE AGE OF EACH ADULT IN THE HOUSEHOLD

16…120

-people give a whole number in response to this I question

Question people ask : on what basis should u be selecting variables? What basis should u be indentifying questions n these surveys?

Up to you!

Select a topic on basis on interest

Select a question within one of the surveys with a basis on measuring something interesting and relation to that topic

Select another variable that might be related to the first or might help to explain/ understand the creation of that first variable

e.g level of worry = variable one

Age = variable two basis that might explain why/how

So basically older people more likely to be attacked by a stranger and are more likely to have. A fear of that happening to them compared to younger people

• Even when they are much less likely to be a victim

Hypothesis could be “ age is associated with the level of worry about being attacked by strangers”

CAN start. A directional hypothesis if its appropriate

E..g the older u are the more likely u are to be very worried about being attacked by strangers.

BE SIMPLE

Once we got to this point and indetified two variables that I think are related

We know which questions are herniating data

Start working through the different parts of submission

Split Intro 5 Parts:

PART ONE : Intro and literature review – 250 words

• introduce the topic/ tell the reader what the topic is / ideally say something about why this topic is of interest/important/ significant/ relevant? – rationalise the topic
• Lit review = attempt to acknowledge what existing research already suggest about this particular topic , BUT more importantly your lit review should be moving towards an acknowledge meant a= any literate or research that helps justify your particular hypothesis — start board and narrow our focus
• E.g lit review might start with some basic ideas about fear of crime , the. Might start to narrow our focus the issue on being attacked by strangers then focus on literate or research that suggest that age might be a factor that could help us explain/understand this particular level of fear of crime
• should lead us to the hypothesis , should be supported by the literature that u have covered/sighted

PART TWO: hypothesis and operationalisation

• state your hypothesis VERY CLEARLY
• DONT need to have more than ONE hypothesis (wont get more credit)
• Keep simple
• MOST IMPORTANT – clear and justified on the basis of the argument/ evidence that you have just presented as part of your literature review
• Say something briefly about the operational concepts – involved in ur hypothesis = how u might measure/ could measure the things that we are interested in? E.g how age is typically measured?, how fear of crime is typically measured? and how we might kind of measure the level of worry about being attacked by strangers
• DONT offer a critique of a particular questions asked in the crime survey for example that comes later = General comments or how these answers could be operationalised

PART THREE: Survey selection and design analysis – 500 WORDS

• offer a critical evaluation of the relevant survey e.g proposing to use data generated via crimes survey for England and Wales
• And we want to acknowledge the key methodological elements that we issues that a re involved in this survey how is that survey structured? What is there sampling survey? What is there mode of survey they use? key mythological issues ? – DO THIS = IMPORTANT PART OF ASSESSMENT
• Developed a critical understand dhow survey research works and what key kind of mythological considerations and issues are

PART FOUR- Questionnaire design and variables measurement

• demonstrating u are understanding the quantitative research design
• Focusing on the particular questions of interest e.g interested int he question that’s gonna generate data about peoples levels of worry about being tracked by a Stranger
• Critical evaluation of the question being asked and including the question , wording and response options. =Basically how had this particular concept/variable/measurement been operationalised in this particle survey

PART FIVE – Conclusion and reflection

• on the basis of the critique and criterial evolution that we have offered in Rewe ton to the survey and particular questions you could make some suggestions about how things could be improved? How it could be taken further?
• Other variables that could be taken into account in exploring your outcome and dependent variables a little bit further e.g we have proposed to explore how age might be related to the level of worried of being attacked by a stranger, or how age might explain variation of how level of worry might be attacked by strangers?
• Could say , what other factors might we take into account or might need to be taken into account in order to fully understand variation in this particular outcome variable, in our case that could be a lot of things e.g gender , peoples prior experiences ,where someone lives?
• Might be useful to offer some More contextual reflection- consider the appropriateness and limitations on focussing on data that is only relevant to the UK or British context e.g some aspects of crime and way we measure them an d the way we think about them are unique to particular to kind of national and cultural context

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