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Reality, research and human inquiry
- 1. Reality, Research and Human Inquiry Professor David Klinger CRIMIN 2210 Research Methods
- 5. Tradition Authority Poor Observation Over-generalization Selective Perception Ideological
- 6. Reality, Research and Human Inquiry Professor David Klinger CRIMIN 2210 Research Methods
Editor's Notes
- Hi this is Professor Klinger – to begin our study of research methods we are going to zoom out to the bigger picture of the world we live in, explore our notions of the term “reality”, and take a look at what it means to engage in personal human inquiry. How does what we experience jive with what others have told us, and what with empirical research reveals to be true? Choose Next below when you’re ready to get started.
- Experiential RealityWhat we know from direct experienceWe have lived itFlames are hot ‘cause we stuck finger in oneKissing feels good ‘cause we’ve done it (hopefully)Cops enforce laws ‘cause we got a ticketVictimization feels bad ‘cause we got ripped offAnything and everything that we know because we tasted, felt, smelled, saw, and/or heard it
- Agreement RealityWhat we accept as true based on what others have told us and which most everyone else appears to believe alsoWe fought against Germany in WWIIThe earth revolves around the sunMales are smarter than femalesHarsh punishments deter crooksDo we believe #3 and #4 above?Have we always believed #2
- Empirical AssessmentPoint is, just ‘cause people believe something to be true doesn’t make it soWhat we agree on can be incorrectHow do we know whether some accepted wisdom is correct?Because we can be wrong we need to:Always be suspicious of what we are told in CCJKnow how to properly assess knowledge claims That’s what this class is all about; using empirical methods to assess what’s really upEmpirical refers to obtaining information about some subject via systematic examination AKA, ResearchSo this class deals with how to properly conduct research We call this stuff on proper “how to” Research MethodsAnd properly done research is scienceBecause this is a CCJ class, we focus on CCJ issues, but the methods here apply to all realms of science
- Why Bother? Both our own experience and what others tell us can be incorrectPersonal Human Inquiry (PHI;what the book calls what we experience and what others say) can be BIG TIME WRONGMultiple reasons for thisLimitations of PHITradition: ideas handed down/shared in societyThe “Evil Eye”Crime is caused by …(take your pick)Authority: what someone with higher station in life tells usParents: “______ are all crooks”Professor: “we know everything”Problem is that both of these have BIG limitations Poor observationMisunderstand what we see, hear, feelMiss things because of perceptual limitsOver- generalization – our observations apply beyond setting in which we saw, heard, feltSelective Perception – see only what fits ideas Ideological – seek only what fits ideas, so we don’t look for counter evidence
- ConclusionScience is a systematic way of observing and objectively analyzing what we observed intended to overcome limitations inherent in Personal Human InquiryThat’s why we need to know about scientific inquiryThat’s what this class is all aboutMAKE SURE YOU “GET” ALL THIS STUFF BEFORE GOING TO NEXT LESSON!!