V' SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

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V. SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
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A. Introduction

• 1. this is why social science research is
  conducted
• gt to search for the cause and
  effect of social
• relationships
• 2. two basic types of research examine
  these interactions
• a. descriptive / exploratory
• 1) basic, prima facie,
  examination
• 2) tell me what you see
• 3) ethnographies, criticisms
• b. explanatory
• 1) often empirically driven

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• a) idiographic specific,
  microscopic
• 1) research that
  seeks to explain precisely and
• parsimoniously,
  using as few conditions,
• variables as
  possible, the cause of some
• phenomenon
• 2) Mertons Theories of the
  Mid-Range
• b) nomothetic general,
  macroscopic
• gt research that
  includes all possible conditions
• or
  considerations to provide as broad a use
• or application
  as possible
• 4) support
• a) empirical

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B. Logic and Causality

• 1. overview
• a. search for causality deals with
  probability, i.e., the
• use of inferential statistics
• b. search for explanation of
  relationship is guided by
• logic
• gt does your explanation make
  sense?
• c. causality etiology, the study
  of causation
• gt the sine qua non /
  raison detre of social science
• research

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• 2. the causal model
• gt variable 1
• gt variable 2
• gt variable 3

CAUSE
Effect
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• a. all the variables that may be
  listed under CAUSE
• b. the cause is antecedent
  (comes before) the effect
• 3. criteria
• a. necessity a particular
  indicator (independent)
• variable is
  vital / mandatory to the
• 
  manifestation, existence of the
• predictor
  (dependent) variable
• b) sufficiency a particular
  indicator (independent)
• variable is
  important to the
• 
  manifestation, existence of the
• predictor
  (dependent) variable
• c) categorically, in the realm
  of crime research, the
• only condition that satisfies the
  necessity
• condition is that a behavior is
  against the law

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• 5. social science homily
• gt it is easier to assert that a
  condition / variable
• causes the occurrence of
  another, it is not as easy
• to prove it

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C. Types of Relationships

• 1. concomitant
• a. (def) a relationship where the
  presence of causal
• (independent) variable MUST
  precede the effect
• (dependent) variable
• gt a change / movement in the
  independent factors
• (variables) directly
  affects a change in the same
• direction of the dependent
  factor/s
• b. types
• 1) direct / positive
• gt an increase in one
  factor has a demonstrated
• and direct increase
  affect on another factor

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• 2) inverse / negative
• gt identifies a change in
  one condition / variable and
• a complementary
  opposite effect of the other
• 3) curvilinear
• a) often found in the
  social sciences, the
• characteristic of
  change
• b) as one condition /
  variable changes its
• complementary
  variable increases or decreases
• at one point in time
  and increases or decreases
• in another
• 2. temporal longitudinal studies

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• 3. relationship enigmas
• a. problems affecting causal
  explanations
• b. variables, conditions,
  considerations that were
• previously unanticipated /
  unexpected / unfounded,
• etc., that have main effects
  on the causal order being
• examined
• c. types
• 1) intervening variable
  conditions
• a) the effect of the
  cause is disturbed by the
• presence of some
  unaccounted for variable
• b) the model

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The Intervention
Bad break / wrong place at wrong time / Thug
Pals
Criminal
Criminal Ability
Caught a break / Given an opportunity / Officer
Friendly / Prosocial Pal
Non-Criminal
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• 2) spurious relationships /
  variables
• a) describes the
  presence of an unanticipated
• event or variable
  that precedes the occurrence
• of the causal
  relationship
• b) an unanticipated
  condition that was not part of
• your research
  design, the occurred in time prior
• to your attempt at
  measurement, that has a
• direct effect on
  the condition of concern
• c) i.e., something
  happened before you got there
• that affects your
  ability to take accurate or
• precise measures
• d) the model

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Dependent Variable
Variable / Condition of concern
Previous Conditon
Stress, Fatigue, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Learning
disability, Previous lifes experience
Violent Criminal
Victim of Child Abuse
The unaccounted for condition
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D. Errors in Determining Causality (mistakes
made by YOU the researcher)

• 1. mistakes you can make in attempting to
  identify
• causes
• gt your errors in interpreting
  what you measure
• 2. provincialism
• a. the error of limited
  perspective
• b. only being able to understand
  that which you have
• already had previous
  experience
• c. not having the vocabulary to
  describe that which
• you see
• d. a short-coming of
  hermeneutics
• e. e.g., born and raised in Granite
  Bay, policing
• Hunters Point and not
  recognizing other lifes
• experiences

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• 3. hasty conclusion
• a. drawing a conclusion about
  your measurement
• before all your information /
  data has / have been
• collected and examined
• b. when the pressure of making a
  quick determination
• takes precedence over making
  the correct
• determination
• gt due date pressure
• c. e.g., not collecting enough
  evidence to reach a
• conviction so that a
  defendant, therefore s/he
• walks

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• 4. questionable cause
• a. failure to include all possible
  explanations
• gt wrong idiographic
  explanation
• b. the spurious relationship
  problem
• c. reaching an unfounded,
  illogical conclusion
• d. not accounting for alternative
  influences that may
• have contributed to the
  explanation of your problem
• e. did something else cause
  your effect?
• f. e.g., AIDS homosexuality

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• 5. suppressed evidence
• a. rejecting, dismissing, or
  deciding against a plausible
• conclusion simply because you
  do not understand
• or see that which you measure
• gt akin to provincialism
• b. the Gestalt of closure
• c. deciding some information is
  superfluous or irrelevant
• simply because you do not
  understand it
• d. e.g., two-eye witnesses

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• 6. false dilemma
• a. drawing conclusion/s based on
  ideology or belief
• and not on the evidence
• b. may be based on provincialism,
  making an
• assertion based on personal
  preference that may
• not be appropriate given the
  information you
• collect
• c. most social science conclusions
  are not either /
• or based
• d. e.g., believing that all women are
  evil simply
• because you are a
  sexist pig

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E. Summary

• 1. social science research is all about
  determining
• causality
• gt how people are affected by
  other people, places,
• things
• 2. because you can never account for
  ALL factors or
• conditions that influence anyone,
  social science
• research mandates that only
  inferences can be drawn
• rather than any definitive
  conclusion
• a. necessitates use of the
  General Linear Model of
• statistical analysis or tests
  of significance
• b. B ltltprobablygtgt happened
  because of A
• 3. gave rise to post-modern
  deconstruction
• 4. we always look for causal order