SOCI332 Week 1 Discussion

This discussion supports CO2. Please review the Week 1 Lesson Materials prior to responding.

Choose a topic that you would like to research this term. Use the GSS database to find two variables that would support your topic – one independent variable and one dependent variable. Be sure to include the topic, variable names and description in your post. Then discuss how you hope to explore the variables this term and what you hope to learn.

Example:

Does people’s education level affect their income? Independent variable (IV) is education level – the variable DEGREE. Dependent variable (DV) is income – the variable RINCOM16.

Classmate #1:

Hello, Everyone!

For my research topic, I have decided to go with the question should the government require the use of seatbelts. I was very surprised by the numbers on the GSS Data Explorer because my whole life, it has always been a no brainer that the first thing you do when you get in a vehicle is to buckle up. The numbers from the survey on the GSS showed a large group of people disagreed that seatbelts should be mandatory. I am curious to dive deeper into the topic and find out the reason as to why people disagree with that and also find out why others strongly agreed with the question.

IV – seatbelts; DV – death tolls in accidents

Classmate #2:

Good afternoon, everyone!

The question I have come up with and want to learn more about is “Should guns be banned”? The Independent variable is gun legislation, and the dependent variable is gun violence. The GSS database gives HGUNLAW and HGUNCRIM to accompany these variables. I find this topic and the results from the GSS database to be intriguing. The results show that many people believe heavier restrictions on guns would decrease violence. However, the number of individuals owning a gun stays relatively the same. I hope to learn more about this topic and how different people view guns. I believe it is an important discussion our country especially needs.

Classmate #3:

This term, one topic that I would like to research is “Does gender play a role in income disparity.” The Independent Variable (IV) is gender GSS variables wksexism or sexemp would support this variable. The Dependent Variable (DB) would be income GSS variables rincom16 and fairearn would support this variable. The hypothesis aims to explore whether gender has a significant impact on income disparity, suggesting that there may be differences in income based on gender.

By examining the data and analyzing the relationship between gender income disparity, I hope to quantify the extent of the income gap between different genders. This can help in understanding the scale of gender inequality in earnings. By exploring these variables, it will reveal whether there are significant differences in earnings between genders. Studying gender and income disparity can shed light on the underlying factors that contribute to the observed gaps. It can help identify whether discrimination, occupational segregation, differences in educational attainment, career choices or other factors play a role in driving income disparities. What I hope to learn from this study is how to use the information suggested and use it to address the identified disparities.