All social science research starts with a question that indicates the human behavior being studied
Overview
All social science research starts with a question that indicates the human behavior being studied. In this activity, you will draft a research question related to the four advertisements you chose earlier in the course. To do this, you will need to dig deeper into what each advertisement is communicating. Are there any deeper or unspoken meanings besides the obvious goal of selling a product or service?
Prompt
Use the provided Module Four Activity Template Word Document to complete this activity. Revisit your previous assignments to review how individuals, groups, cultures, and stereotypes are presented in your four advertisements. Make sure to also consult the feedback your instructor provided. Based on this information, identify the underlying or socially significant messages communicated by your four advertisements. You will use your analysis to write a social science research question. Finally, explain how you used a social science perspective to help create your research question.
You are not required to answer each question below the rubric criteria but may use them to better understand the criteria and guide your thinking.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
- Describe the underlying meanings or socially significant messages each of your advertisements communicates.
- In previous activities, you were asked to make objective observations. You can now use the knowledge gained from the course to interpret the social significance of your ads.
- What messages about culture, relationships, biases, or social norms are being communicated? Go beyond the surface of the ad and look for deeper meanings.
- Write a research question based on a social science perspective and related to at least one of your advertisements.
- What patterns or themes did you notice when analyzing your ads? What elements popped out and made you curious? Consider what the ads say about individuals, groups, institutions, or society. If you were to design a sociological, psychological, or anthropological study of your ads, what question would you want to answer?Your research question only needs to be related to one of your four advertisements. But if you find a common trend in your ads, you may tie your research question to more than one.
- It is expected that you will revise your research question, but you will need to finalize it by the end of the next module.
- Describe how you used a social science perspective to create your research question.
- Each branch of the social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science, and economics) is interested in different aspects of human behavior. Depending on the perspective you chose, how might a sociologist, psychologist, or anthropologist look at your ads? What would they focus on? What types of questions would they want to answer?
Guidelines for Submission
Submit the Module Four Activity Template. While references are not required, if you reference sources in your responses, they should be cited according to APA style. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations.
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