 | Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales: An Introduction to Sociology and Research Methods Subjects: Health and Social Care; Social Sciences; Social Work and Social Policy; Anthropology; Sociology & Social Policy; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Community Social Work; Kinship & Community; Gender Studies; Research Methods - Soc. Policy; Social Theory; Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales is an introductory textbook for students wishing to learn about sociology and social research methods. Each of the short tales, told by a sociologist, introduces topics and research methods using an engaging storyline. The opening story narrates how the sociologist uses participant observation to understand the work of a commercial pilot, and how he feels about autopilot systems replacing his job of flying aeroplanes. Other tales feature topics such as education, health, crime, and gender. There is also a chapter on 'lockdown' during the Covid-19 pandemic. One main feature of the book is the 'back door' approach to teaching research methods, with chapters dedicated to exploring statistics, sampling, visual methods, documents, embodied methods, autoethnographic research and ethics. Traditional textbooks in sociology focus on what novice sociologists should do, but few, if any, comprehensively deal with overcoming problems as they might emerge and explain what to do when things go wrong. The sociological tales written in this book provide examples of when field access is denied, research participants refuse to take part, and when recording equipment has broken down. Each tale raises issues and problems for the sociologist to overcome, such as research design flaws, sampling bias, lack of rapport with research participants, and the problems with breaking ethical codes of conduct. The book provides insight into the role of the sociologist, why sociology matters, and what happens when sociology fails us. Flying Aeroplanes and Other Sociological Tales introduces a unique approach to teaching sociology and social research methods. Brian McDonough is Course Leader of Sociology at Solent University and teaches a range of sociological topics, including social inequalities, social theory, and social research methods. His research interests include work, expertise and the use of information and communication technologies in the workplace. His ethnographic research on 'flying aeroplanes' has been a key feature of his work to date. |
