secondary sources

• Who are the authors of the Bell Curve Theory?

  Charles Murray and Herrnstein
• What does IQ measure?

  Intelligence
• What is the average IQ range established for America according to the Bell Curve Theory?

  90-110
• What percentage of Americans have an IQ within the average range of 90-110?

  50%
• What factors did Murray and Herrnstein examine in relation to IQ?

  Married at 30, high school dropout, lives in poverty, unemployed more than 1 month out of the year
• How does the likelihood of getting married by age 30 relate to IQ?


  People with IQs above 125 are much less likely to get married before age 30
• What is the relationship between IQ and unemployment for men?

  As IQ increases, men are less likely to be unemployed for more than one month out of the year
• How does IQ affect the likelihood of living in poverty?

  As IQ increases, individuals are less likely to be living in poverty
• What is the correlation between IQ and high school dropout rates?

  The higher the IQ, the less likely individuals are to have been high school dropouts
• How does IQ relate to incarceration rates among men?

  As IQ rises, the fewer men have been incarcerated
• What is the relationship between IQ and illegitimate children among mothers?

  As IQ rises, mothers are less likely to have had an illegitimate child
• What assumption did Murray and Herrnstein make about people with higher IQs?

  They assumed that people with higher IQs are better off in life
• What is a potential criticism of the findings related to illegitimate children?

  Some individuals may have lied about their circumstances
• What does the term "ethnocentric" refer to in the context of unscrambling words?


  It implies a bias towards a particular cultural perspective
• What concept does Bourdeiu introduce regarding cultural capital?

  Cultural capital involves providing children with essential knowledge about the upper class and their values
• How are IQ tests perceived in terms of class bias?

  IQ tests are more biased towards the upper class
• What action did a university take regarding a lecturer who praised the BNP?

  The university suspended the lecturer
• What controversial claim did the suspended lecturer make about intelligence?

  He claimed that black people and women are genetically inferior
• What did the lecturer assert about the Bell Curve's findings?


  He stated it demonstrated a gap in average IQ between black and white individuals
• What did the lecturer suggest about scientific discoveries?

  He questioned why all great discoveries in science have been made by men
• What are the types of secondary sources in research?

  • Documents/Qualitative data:
  • Personal documents (diaries, letters)
  • Public documents (Ofsted reports, school brochures)
  • Historical documents (parish records, census data)
  • Statistics/Quantitative sources:
  • Official statistics (DfE GCSE results)
  • Non-official statistics
• What are the primary methods to study secondary sources?

  1. Formal content analysis: turns qualitative documents into quantitative data
  2. Thematic content analysis: turns qualitative documents into qualitative analysis
  3. Comparative method/statistical analysis: manipulates quantitative data
  4. Meta-analysis: analyses findings of other studies
• How do interpretivists and positivists differ in their preference for secondary sources?

  • Interpretivists: prefer qualitative secondary sources for detailed insights
  • Positivists: prefer statistical secondary methods for objectivity and generalizability
• What are the theoretical evaluations of secondary sources?

  • No control over research methods
  • Potential researcher bias
  • Variables may not be operationalized
  • Researcher values may influence interpretation
• What are the practical evaluations of secondary sources?

  • Quicker and cheaper than primary research
  • Easy access to materials
  • Possible lack of data on specific topics
• What are the ethical considerations when using secondary sources?

  • Limited ethical issues (no direct deception)
  • Impact of findings on society
  • Quality of research reflects on sociology
  • Risk of legal action for misrepresentation
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of personal documents as qualitative sources?

  Advantages:

  • Variety of perspectives
  • High validity
  • Easy access if owner consents

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Lack of consent
  • Potential interpretational bias
  • Time-consuming
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of public documents as qualitative sources?


  Advantages:

  • Freely accessible
  • Produced by reliable sources
  • In-depth information

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • May not meet research needs
  • Time-consuming if in-depth
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of historical documents as qualitative sources?

  Advantages:

  • Useful insights into the past
  • Easily accessible

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Difficult to verify authenticity
  • Words and meanings change over time
  • Some documents may be missing or damaged
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of official statistics as quantitative sources?

  Advantages:

  • Overview of current society
  • Easy to identify trends

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Researcher cannot control data collection
  • May lead to inaccurate conclusions
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of non-official statistics as quantitative sources?

  Advantages:

  • Objective data

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Reliability cannot be guaranteed
  • May have target populations affecting representativeness
• What are the ethical considerations regarding personal documents as qualitative sources?

  • Cannot generalize findings
  • Potential for deception
  • Harm if published without consent
  • Lack of consent raises ethical issues
• What are the ethical considerations regarding historical documents as qualitative sources?

  • May lack validity
  • Potential for deception
  • Lack of consent issues
  • Public documents are easily accessible