Book Review: Newman & O'Brien(2013).
In their book, Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life, David Newman and Jodi O’Brien bring out the idea of the structuralism of society. The dual are of the view that the world is highly architectural and structural. Society is stratified into different classes, races, gender among other units of social stratification (Newman & O’Brien 255). Newman and O’Brien describe these architectural stratifications of society as being nest boxes in which various members of society find them in. the different stratifications or nest boxes of society are put together by a commonality that exists among the members of a given group or social strata. For example, the upper classes in society are brought together by the idea that they have high levels of income. This means that these people can be able to interact in various activities that require the use of money.
For example, the upper class in society can interact in expensive casinos and recreational areas, because those areas are not accessible to the poor people who cannot afford. In the context of a community college, the different architectural/stratifications that are present in such an environment include students, instructors, subordinates, and administrators. All these stratifications are part of the comprehensive whole meaning that the community college cannot be in existence without any of the above stratifications. The commonality of the occupations of the members of these next boxes is what brings these groups together. Outside the context of community college, there are other stratifications in society. For example, in the job market there are different professions such as doctors, teachers, engineers, among other professions. The members of each of the professions are brought together by the commonality of the type of occupations that each individual is involved in.
The article , Dying to get High : Marijuana as Medicine, by Wendy Chapkis is an example of a social science research. One thing that is worth noting is that sociology uses two types of research methodologies. These research methodologies include qualitative research and empirical research. Qualitative research is subject to opinion and values of the researcher. However, quantitative research uses natural science research methodology. Under empirical research, researchers use statistical data to inform their inferences and conclusions. Statistical data is value free and is not subject to personal opinions which might cause research to be biased towards a given trajectory. In the light of this, the article Dying to get High by Wendy Chapkis is representative of a scientific sociological research.
The sample under observation and study in this case are terminally ill patients and their access to marijuana. This research involves statistical data which is derived by continued observation and recording of patients to whom Marijuana is distributed. This research amalgamates both qualitative and quantitative research methodology. This is because the research involves interviews in which different people voice their opinions and values regarding the idea of legalizing Marijuana for medical purpose in San Cruz, California(Chapkis & Webb 116). This research is reflective of a natural science because the Wendy Chapis is reliant on her observations and the data collected during her study to create a conclusion and inference regarding the controversial topic of legalizing Marijuana for medicinal purposes. Therefore, the methodology that is used in this research is similar to that of natural sciences. The researcher has well defined objectives that are achieved through the use of a given methodology to attain the necessary conclusions, which are then interpreted using qualitative research methodology.
Works Cited
Chapkis, Wendy, and Richard J. Webb. Dying to get high: marijuana as medicine. New York: New York University Press, 2008. Print.
Newman, David M., and Jodi O’Brien . Sociology: exploring the architecture of everyday life. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, California: Pine Forge Press, 2004. Print.
