The Research Act: A Theoretical Introduction to Sociological Methods - Softcover

-Norman K. Denzin's The Research Act is a research methods textbook written explicitly from a symbolic interactionist perspective. . . . Denzin's discussion of the development of sociological theory properly stresses the impact of sociological values, reward structures, and the political and institutional structures of the sociological community.- --William S. Fox, Contemporary Sociology -An extraordinary work in which Denzin does the best job to date of synthesizing the methodologies of the interactionist perspectives of the symbolic interactionists, on the one hand, and the ethnomethodologists, on the other. . . . Destined to be a standard reference in sociological methodology for years to come.- --Choice -A first class work. It should have a revolutionary impact on social research--indeed on the entire scientific enterprise in the social psychology sciences. Admirably suited to use as a textbook in courses on methodology.- --Herbert Blumer, University of California, Berkeley "Norman K. Denzin's The Research Act is a research methods textbook written explicitly from a symbolic interactionist perspective. . . . Denzin's discussion of the development of sociological theory properly stresses the impact of sociological values, reward structures, and the political and institutional structures of the sociological community." --William S. Fox, Contemporary Sociology "An extraordinary work in which Denzin does the best job to date of synthesizing the methodologies of the interactionist perspectives of the symbolic interactionists, on the one hand, and the ethnomethodologists, on the other. . . . Destined to be a standard reference in sociological methodology for years to come." --Choice "A first class work. It should have a revolutionary impact on social research--indeed on the entire scientific enterprise in the social psychology sciences. Admirably suited to use as a textbook in courses on methodology." --Herbert Blumer, University of California, Berkeley "Norman K. Denzin's The Research Act is a research methods textbook written explicitly from a symbolic interactionist perspective. . . . Denzin's discussion of the development of sociological theory properly stresses the impact of sociological values, reward structures, and the political and institutional structures of the sociological community." --William S. Fox, Contemporary Sociology "An extraordinary work in which Denzin does the best job to date of synthesizing the methodologies of the interactionist perspectives of the symbolic interactionists, on the one hand, and the ethnomethodologists, on the other. . . . Destined to be a standard reference in sociological methodology for years to come." --Choice "A first class work. It should have a revolutionary impact on social research--indeed on the entire scientific enterprise in the social psychology sciences. Admirably suited to use as a textbook in courses on methodology." --Herbert Blumer, University of California, Berkeley "Norman K. Denzin's The Research Act is a research methods textbook written explicitly from a symbolic interactionist perspective. . . . Denzin's discussion of the development of sociological theory properly stresses the impact of sociological values, reward structures, and the political and institutional structures of the sociological community." --William S. Fox, Contemporary Sociology

At once a unique textbook for methods courses and a major contribution to sociological theory, this book teaches students the principles of research and how to construct and test theories. It brings coherence to the study of methods by presenting four major approaches to experimentation: survey research, participant observation,life histories, and unobtrusive measures from a single theoretical point of view,symbolic interaction. It demonstrates the need for a synthesis between theory and methods, and shows how diff erent methods limit and aff ect research results.