Communication study - Essay Example

COMMUNICATION The chapter provides an insight into the aspects of theory and research in the arena of social life. It is realized that theory has always played a great role in social science as it provides the guidelines for conducting research. Social inquiry therefore relies much on both theory and research. Social theories normally seek to explain the existence of particular phenomenon in social life. Research is consequently used inquire into such unknown facts and this is basically achieved through particular paradigms which provide the framework into such inquiries. The importance of paradigms is greatly emphasized in the chapter as an important aspect in social research. For instance in political life, different paradigms normally exist in the form of ideologies and political orientations which basically seek to address the same issues. It is further seen that paradigms will normally change over time as new issues arise. Every paradigm is sooner or later affected by many challenges and limitations and this creates the need for new dimensions.
At the core of social theory, two paradigms are seen to take preeminence. Macrotheory seeks to look at social institutions from the general perspective and how societies interact with one another. For instance, the struggle realized between the bourgeoisie and proletariats as studied by Karl Marx is an example of Macrotheory. On the other hand, microtheory analyses the interactions of individuals at the very basic and intimate level. For instance, in studying human interaction, focus can be paced upon the difference in the behaviors of boys and girls. The chapter further provides the important link between theory and research as realized in social science. Basically, research is used in testing the many theories usually inherent in social inquiry.
Chapter three provides a lucid explanation on the importance of ethics in social research. Indeed, it is seen that any scientific research must always be conducted within a given set of limits and ethical considerations in order to qualify as effective. There is a specific code of conduct which must always be observed by the researchers in any inquiry (Babbie, 2006). For instance, considering that social research will normally involve intrusion into the lives or aspects of other people, it is importance to ensure that all the people involved in such inquiry voluntarily offer themselves for the research. In the same way, the researcher must always safeguard the safety of the participants and the confidentiality of the information provided by the respondents. Ethics is seen to be an important subject in social research as it largely determines the success of the whole process.
The chapter further highlights the influence of politics on social research. Politics largely hinges on ideological orientations and this can greatly affect the research process. It is common for people to raise many issues regarding a particular research process mostly as a ways of protecting the subjects or the respondents. In most cases, social research faces many limitations in terms of funding which is mostly driven by different points of view on the importance of such researches. In addition, the chapter provides a clear distinction between ethics and politics in research and how these two factors generally affect the quality and direction of social research.
References
Babbie, E. R. (2006). The practice of social research (10th ed.). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Co.. Read More