Department
of Sociology
Graduate
Student Handbook
(including
introduction to the
Integrated
Data and Instructional System IDIS
and
department database holdings)
(version 5 11/00)
1.
GREETING FROM THE GRADUATE COORDINATOR:
On behalf of the Department of Sociology, I
welcome you to the Sociology Graduate Student Handbook. The information below is provided for both
currently enrolled graduate students and individuals who would like more
information about graduate studies in the Sociology Department. As Graduate
Coordinator, I am responsible for screening applicants for admissions,
recruiting of new students, academic advising, assigning Graduate Assistantships
(GA), and arbitrating any general problems that involve graduate students. So if you have any questions about our
program, please feel free to contact me (see below for contact methods).
The Department of Sociology offers a Master of Arts
degree with both a thesis and non-thesis option. Listed below is information on the application process for
admission and the program requirements.
The department also offers seven to nine Graduate Assistantships (GA)
that provide a stipend and partial wavier of tuition. On average, the department has about thirty full-time graduate
students enrolled every year.
The department recently has instituted several
changes that will make obtaining a Masters degree in Sociology more
accommodating to students. The creation
of the Integrated Data and Instructional System (IDIS) streamlines the
thesis/non-thesis process allowing most of our graduates to complete their
degrees easily within two years. IDIS
allows students to pursue nearly unlimited areas of specialization with the
availability of data for thesis and non-thesis projects. Equally exciting is
the recent expansion of faculty. In the
last two years the department has hired four new faculty members and will
possibly be hiring one more in the next year.
This new group of faculty expands the areas of teaching and research
available to graduate students, bringing new ideas and methods to those already
established in the program. Finally,
several improvements have been made to the departments graduate student PC lab
that will ease access to the IDIS data and the writing/completion of thesis and
non-thesis projects.
If you have any questions, you may contact me
through any of the methods below:
Voice: 316-978-7157
Fax:
316-978-3281
email: David.Wright@Wichita.edu
web: http://www.twsu.edu./~socwww
or http://www.wichita.edu/
U.S. mail:
Dr. David W. Wright,
Graduate Coordinator
Wichita State University
Department of Sociology,
Campus Box 25
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS 67260-0025
2.
FACULTY AND AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION:
Graduate
Faculty
Twyla J.
Hill (Ph.D.,
University of California-Irvine). Sociology of Aging, Sociology of Families, Sociology of Law, Asian-American Sociology, Research Methods.
Charles S.
Koeber
(Ph.D., State University of New York, Binghamton). Work, Labor Markets,
Stratification and Inequality, Qualitative Research Methods.
Ron Matson
(Ph.D.,
University of Colorado). Department Chair, Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Gender, American Male, Intimacy, Parenting.
Kathleen
M. O'Flaherty Perez
(Ph.D., Purdue University). Research Methods, Family, Urban, Demography.
David
W.Wright
(Ph.D., Purdue University). Graduate Coordinator. Stratification and Class
Analysis, Marxism, Industrial Sociology, Gender Analysis, Theory.
Tor Wynn (Ph.D., University of
Iowa) Class Structures, Post-Industrial Change, Labor Markets, Skills, Unions,
Social Mobility, Social Inequality, Political Sociology.
3.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Students who wish to pursue graduate education in
the department of Sociology must apply for admissions through the Wichita State
University (WSU) Graduate School. This
application is then forwarded to and screened by the graduate coordinator in
the department of Sociology.
3.1.
Graduate School Application and Requirements:
To apply for enrollment as a graduate student,
individuals must contact the WSU Graduate School and request an Application for
Admission form to be completed by the applicant and returned to the Graduate
School. The form asks for general
demographic information as well as the department or program in which graduate
studies are to be pursued. Each
applicant also must submit two copies of their academic transcripts. The minimum graduate school requirements
are:
Bachelors degree from a
regionally accredited institution.
Grade point average
(GPA) of at least 2.75 based upon the last 60 hours of course work.
No more than nine hours
of background deficiencies in the major field of graduate study.
The Graduate School offers both degree and
non-degree status. See the WSU Graduate
Bulletin for more complete information on the above requirements and the degree
level options.
3.2.
Department of Sociology Graduate Admission Requirements:
In addition to the Graduate School requirements
for admission, the Department of Sociology requires:
1) one
college algebra course and at least 15 hours in sociology including an
introductory sociology course, one descriptive and inferential statistics
course, two research methods courses, and one theory course (similar courses in
other fields of study may be substituted at the discretion of the graduate
coordinator)
2) three
letters of reference from professors who are familiar with the students
academic course work
3) a typed, double-spaced statement of purpose
(approximately 500 words) articulating the students area of research interests
and academic/career goals.
3.3.
Department of Sociology Graduate Degree Options and Requirements:
The department offers both a thesis and non-thesis
option. Unique among most graduate
programs, the thesis and non-thesis options in the Department of Sociology are
identical in required course work, level of difficulty, content and written
structure. Both options require the
completion of the Integrated Data and Instructional System Document ( IDIS_DOC,
see below) unless you secure an exception through sponsorship with a designated
faculty member. The major difference
between the two options is that the thesis option requires you to form a thesis
committee (two members from the sociology department and one outside member),
an oral proposal defense, an oral thesis defense, and the binding of the thesis
based on Graduate School thesis format requirements. While the non-thesis final project will be similar to the thesis
in content and structure, the non-thesis option does not require the creation
of a committee, an oral defense, or the formatting and binding requirements of
the Graduate School.
Thesis option:
Pro-Seminar
(860)
.1
Seminar
in Sociological Theory (845)
..3
Application
of Advanced Statistics Techniques (801)
...3
Advanced
Research Methods (812)
3
800
level seminar
3
Thesis
(875 and 876)
..3 or 6
Electives
.13
or 16
Total
...32
Non-thesis option:
Pro-Seminar
(860)
1
Seminar
in Sociological Theory (845)
3
Application
of Advanced Statistics Techniques (801)
.3
Advanced
Research Methods (812)
..3
800
level seminar
..3
Directed
Research (851)(up to 6 hours)
.3 or 6
Electives
17
or 20
Total
..36
3.4.
Dismissal and Transfer to Non-Degree Status:
A Sociology graduate student may be dismissed
from the program for any of the following reasons:
students g.p.a. drops below 2.00.
student does not make satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
student
enters the program on probationary status and fails to achieve a cumulative
g.p.a. of 3.00 after nine hours of course work.
student
is placed on probation and fails to achieve a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.00 after
nine hours of course work.
student
violates any of the classroom standards listed in the Graduate Bulletin under
the section entitled Academic Honesty and Classroom Integrity.
A Sociology graduate student in full-standing
may be transferred to non-degree status for any of the following reasons:
student does not enroll in any sociology course work for more than 12 months.
student fails to enroll within 12 months after admission into the program.
student fails
to receive consent of the instructor for any Independent/Directed Study course.
student fails to receive their advisors expressed approval for course
enrollment.
student
does not exhibit satisfactory progress in their program as evidenced by low
g.p.a. (under 3.00), excessive incompletes, insufficient class attendance,
and/or failure to meet the six year completion limit.
4.
INTEGRATED DATA AND INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM (IDIS)
DOING
SOCIOLOGY: Graduate Education and the
Integrated
Data and Instructional System (IDIS)
4.1
Justification/Purpose:
In general, Master-level programs in sociology
should provide a solid foundation in methodological processes, statistical
practices and theoretical paradigms.
This foundation provides equally for students who desire to pursue a
Ph.D. and those who will seek employment in the private/government sector. In either scenario, the student must possess
methodological and statistical skills as well as an understanding of how these
skills are framed by discourse (theory).
Thus, it could be argued that the purpose of a masters program is to
provide instruction and access to the development of these skills. Creative expression, on the other hand, is a
secondary outcome and may best be characterized by a Masters/Ph.D. tier where
skill acquisition occurs at the masters-level and independent creative
expression occurs at the Ph.D. level.
This emphasis on skills is even more important
in programs that have limited resources.
When faculty, library and computer resources are limited, a program
predicated on individual creative expression harms both faculty and
students. This is not to say that
creative expression is unimportant, but that given limited resources and the
need to have a solid foundation in basic skills, the best long-term investment,
even for those who desire less structured environments of instruction, is to
provide fundamental skills with the opportunity
for creative expression. This mix of
skills versus creativity is justified when it is understood that Master
degree programs serve as gatekeepers both to the private/government sector and
Ph.D. programs. In the final analysis,
a sociologists should be trained to have the capability to pursue any topic of inquiry.
In order to accomplish this objective, the
department has developed the Integrated
Data and Instructional System (IDIS)
that provides the opportunity to streamline instruction and the acquisition of
skills. An IDIS is predicated on access
to data for the development of methodological and statistical skills and the
application of theoretical perspectives.
Such a system of instruction allows for the "doing of
sociology". Graduate students have
access to data for development of their thesis/non-thesis projects. Course instruction at the graduate level is
tied to the use of the data as the mechanism of instruction or practice. Such a system allows the program curriculum
to merge content and theme, assist students in making decisions about thesis/non-thesis
projects, and to provide the opportunity for creativity by allowing research
questions to arise from or be within the scope of the data.
4.2
Process/Implementation:
Graduate students are encouraged to develop and
commit to an area of research interest in their first semester. Additionally, students are expected to
determine which departmental dataset(s) are suitable to their thesis/non-thesis
projects or whether they will collect their own data. In their second year, students will access these data to produce
the empirical results for their thesis/non-thesis projects.
Graduate students are expected to follow and
reproduce a standardized document structure for thesis/non-thesis projects
(unless students have secured a faculty sponsor). This document serves 1)
to provide continuity across required course work and 2) as the primary
assessment mechanism for completion of the thesis/non-thesis projects. The Integrated Data and Instructional System
Document (IDIS-DOC) is a guideline for the narrative structure. The content of each section may vary across
students and subjects. See section 4.4
below for the outline of the IDIS-DOC.
4.3 The
Components of IDIS--Data, Instruction, and Technology:
The IDIS is composed of a triangulation of three
sub-systems: data, instruction, and technology. These three elements are integrated
by the scientific model of research.
4.3.1. Data:
The central component of the IDIS are data that
are accessible for both instruction and research. Student have the option to utilized departmental data or collect
their own data. Regardless of which
option is chosen, data still remains the central element which is examined via
the scientific method to explore theoretical discourses.
For students electing to use the departmental
databases, the department has acquired several national-probability databases
and routinely updates and searches for similar data to add to this growing
database. Many of these databases are
large in scope and size such as the Current Population Surveys that sample the
entire United States and yields information on a multitude of questions. Given the current collection of data, it
would be hard to find a research question that could not be addressed by one or
more of these databases (see section 4.7 below for a description of currently
stored databases). The availability of
these data is beneficial for graduate students, faculty and the
department. For the graduate student,
IDIS means that the completion time of thesis and non-thesis projects is
shortened since students are not hindered by collecting their own data. Since the databases have national
recognition and are often used in academic research, it also means that
publication of thesis and non-thesis projects is enhanced. For faculty, IDIS similarly shortens the
completion of research projects and enhances the likelihood of
publication. Furthermore, given the
scope of data, the IDIS provides faculty members with greater flexibility and
opportunity to expand their research agendas.
This is especially helpful when pursuing grants and contract related
research in which having the data available is often necessary and increases
the chances of receiving funding. Finally, the IDIS enhances the departments
ability to attract and retain quality faculty and graduate students which
benefits students, faculty, the department and university.
For students electing to collect their own data
several methods exist to acquire data.
Students, in consultation with their major advisor, may identify their
own data collection methods which may include surveys, experiments,
participatory analysis, or case studies to name a few. Students may also elect to utilize data from
internships or cooperative education assignments. In addition, students may elect to work jointly with faculty on
data collection projects that faculty are currently undertaking.
4.3.2. Instruction:
At an instructional-level, the IDIS is designed
to integrate the required course work including the completion of
thesis/non-thesis projects. All the required
graduate courses are tied together in both content and output with each course
addressing a different component of the final thesis or non-thesis
document. The sequence of the
curriculum including course content and output is predicated on the structure
of the standard journal article: identification of the research problem (SOC
860; SOC 845), a literature review of the scholarly work and alternative
theoretical models (SOC 845), documentation of the data and methodology (SOC
801; SOC 812), and the presentation of the findings and implication for future
research (SOC 851; SOC 875-876) (see section 4.5 below for a brief description
and sequence of each required graduate course). The organizational and written
structure of the thesis and non-thesis final document is prescribed by the IDIS
and is outlined in the IDIS-DOC (see
section 4.4 below for a detailed description of this document outline). The IDIS-DOC is, of course, to be seen as a
guide to the document structure and is expected to be modified to fit the
students specific thesis or non-thesis project. The requirements of IDIS-DOC are 1) meant to enhance the
opportunities for publication since the document is predicated on the standard
journal article format, and 2) since the IDIS-DOC is required of both thesis
and non-thesis students, it allows non-thesis students to have a document
similar to that of thesis students without the thesis committee requirements.
4.3.3. Technology:
The IDIS provides access to data and the
completion of thesis and non-thesis projects through both mainframe and PC
interfaces. Due to the size of many of
the databases, PC storage and data analysis are both impractical and
costly. As a result, most of the IDIS
data are stored and accessed through the WSU mainframe system. Graduate students (and faculty) are assigned
mainframe computer accounts and provided instruction on how to access the
specific data for their research.
Access to the mainframe accounts can be achieved in numerous ways
including university computing labs, the Graduate Student Sociology PC lab, and
dialup from modem based systems. The
Graduate Student Sociology PC lab provides PCs that are equipped with
wordprocessing and spreadsheet software that students can use to write their
course work and final documents. Access
to these systems is restricted and requires passwords.
4.4. Integrated Data and Instructional System
Document (IDIS_DOC)
For both the thesis and non-thesis option,
students are expected to organize their final written document along the lines
of a typical research journal article which replicates the scientific method:
an introduction, literature review, alternative model and hypotheses,
methodology statement, results of analysis, and a conclusion. Listed below is an example of a detailed
outline that follows this organizational structure which is referred to as the
Integrated Data and Instructional System Document (IDIS_DOC). Students who
desire not to follow the IDIS_DOC must secure a faculty sponsor.
(The content of the outline below is for
illustration purposes only; your document may vary)
A. Significance of
topic
B. Operationalization
of topic
C. Brief review of
literature & alternative
D. Organizational
layout of study
A. Introduction
(typology of theory/method)
B. Paradigms/theories:
1. Paradigm/theory
#1
2. Paradigm/theory
#2
3. Paradigm/theory
#3
4. Conclusion
C. Alternative
theory
1. Introduction
2. Weakness of
current focus
3. Alternative
4. Conclusion
A. Introduction
B. Data
1. Source of data
2. Type of
data/sampling parameters
3. Original
sample size
4. Sample for
study
C. Variables
1. Dependent
variable
2. Independent
variables
D. Methodology
1. Introduction
2. Univariate
analysis
3. Bivariate
analysis
4. Multi-variate
analysis
A. Introduction
B. Univariate
analysis
1. establish
sample characteristics
2. identification
of control groups
C. Bivariate
analysis
1. establish
statistically significant differences across groups
2. e.g., means
comparison tests & anova
D. Multivariate
analysis
1. identify which
factors have an independent effect
2. between
control groups
3. within control
groups
4. e.g., multiple
regression, logistic regression
A. Introduction
B. Overview of
findings
1. Summary of
significant findings
2. Relate
findings to theory & hypotheses
C. Limitations of
study
D. Implications
for future research
4.5.
Course Sequencing:
The core courses of the Sociology graduate
curriculum should generally be taken in the following order:
860 ProSeminar (FALL): Along with the currently established course
content, the 860 ProSeminar will introduce graduate students to the IDIS. This will involve an introduction to the
basic philosophy of IDIS; a brief overview of the centralized databases and
option for data collection; the sequencing and expected outcomes from the
graduate-program course (860, 845, 801, 812, 851); the outline structure of the
thesis/non-thesis document (IDIS_DOC).
845 Sociological Theory (SPRING): Along with the
currently established course content, the 845 Seminar will devote time to each
students thesis/non-thesis project, developing theoretical foundations of
discourse and construction of testable hypotheses/models. At the conclusion of this course, students
will be expected to have identified a research topic and question, an
appropriate database, literature review, alternative model and hypotheses, and
completion of Section I & II of
the IDIS-DOC.
801 Application of Advanced Statistical
Techniques (FALL):
Along with the currently established course content, the 801 Seminar will cover
the following topics: use of the IBM mainframe for data preparation and
analysis; instruction in database codebook documentation; development of SPSS
code for data analysis; preparation and cleaning of data; performing SPSS
procedures for data analysis. At the conclusion of this course (and SOC 812),
students will be expected to have completed Section III of the IDIS_DOC, the data and methodological sections.
812 Advanced Research Methods (FALL): Along with the currently established course
content, the 812 Seminar will cover the following topics: advantages and
disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, overview
of sampling and collection, survey question construction, data variables and
level(s) of analysis. At the conclusion
of this course (and SOC 801), students will be expected to have completed Section III of the IDIS-DOC, the data
and methodological sections.
851 Directed Research (non-thesis students);
875-876 Thesis (thesis students) (FALL;SPRING): Students will be
expected to perform statistical analysis using the models and statistics
developed in previous seminars to complete the IDIS-DOC, Sections IV and V.
4.6.
Two-Year Program Scenario:
While the progress of any individual student
toward completion of their degree is unique, the Sociology graduate program is
based on a two-year program that would typically involve the following events
per semester:
1. 860 Proseminar
2. electives
3. deficiencies (if
any are required)
4. begin to define
an area of research interest for your thesis or non-thesis
1. 845 theory
2. electives
3. deficiencies (if
any are required)
4. Plan of Study must
be completed
5. commit to an
area of research interest and location of appropriate database
6. begin searching
for a major professor to work with on your thesis or non-thesis
7. complete
sections I and II of the IDIS_DOC.
1. 801 Application
of Advanced Statistical Techniques
2. 812 Advanced
Methods
3. enroll in
thesis/final project hours (851 non-thesis; 875 thesis)
4. electives
5. organize and
develop the data for your thesis or non-thesis
6. determine major
professor (& committee members for thesis option)
7. defend Thesis
Proposal (thesis option).
8. obtain Guide to
Thesis Manual (thesis option).
9. complete section
III of the IDIS_DOC.
1. enroll in
thesis/final project hours (851,876)
2. electives
3. perform and
complete your data analysis
4. update Plan of
Study
5. submit
application for Degree Card
6. schedule oral
defense (thesis option)
7. oral defense
(thesis option)
1. thesis pass/fail
signatures
2. thesis binding
approval
3. final signatures
4. check on
incompletes (thesis and non-thesis)
5. deliver bound
copies for dept, grad school & library (advisor may request a copy)
8. complete section
IV and V of IDIS_DOC
While the program is based on a two year, four
semester cycle, most students elect to complete their degrees within three semesters
in which the fourth semester above is incorporated into the third semester.
4.7. Data
Provided by the Department of Sociology:
While it is possible for students to gather their
own data, the department provides a number of data sets to students for use in
secondary data analyses. Students who elect to use the centralized data will be
given instruction on how to access the data for their thesis/non-thesis
projects during their course work.
Listed alphabetically below are the data sets currently available (see
Appendix for more detail).
Class Structure and
Class Consciousness (EOW): 1980; 1991.
Consumer
Expenditure Surveys (CE): 1972-73; 1980-81; 1989-90; 1992-93, 1995-96, 1997.
Current
Population Surveys (CPS): [March Series, Annual Demographic File] 1968 thru
2000.
Current
Population Surveys (CPS): [February, Displaced Worker Supplement]: 1992; 1994;
1996; 1998;
2000
Current
Population Surveys (CPS): [April, Employee Benefit Survey]:1993
Decennial Census of
the Population (PUMS): 1960; 1970; 1980; 1990.
Employment, Hours, and
Earnings in States and Areas of the United States: 1940 to 1991.
General Social Survey
(GSS): 1972 to 1998.
High School and Beyond
(HS&B), 1980; 1982; 1984; 1986.
Integrated
Post-Secondary Educational Data System (IPEDS) [Salaries, Tenure and Benefits
of Faculty]: 1996-97.
Marital Instability
Over the Life Course (MIS): 1980; 1983; 1988; 1994.
Monitoring the Future
(MTF): 1975 to 1998.
National Education Longitudinal
Study (NELS): 1988; 1990; 1992; 1994.
National
Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA): 1979; 1985; 1990; 1995.
National Longitudinal
Study of the Class of 1972 (NLS72).
National Longitudinal
Survey (NLS): 1966 to 1992.
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79): 1979 to 1998.
National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97): 1997 to present.
National Organizations
Survey (NOS): 1991.
National Survey of
Families and Households (NSFH): 1987-1988; 1992-1994.
Panel Study of Income
Dynamics (PSID): 1968 to 1995.
Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF): 1995.
Survey of Income and
Program Participation (SIPP): 1984 to 1993; 1996;
Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD): 1997
Uniform Crime
Reports: Supplemental Homicide Report
(SHR): 1980 to 1994.
Violence
and Threats of Violence Against Men and Women in the United States (VTVAMW):
1994-96
-- Violence
Research Data from the National Institute of Justice (includes 59 separate
databases)
5. GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS:
5.1.
Graduate Assistanships:
The department offers a number of Graduate
Assistantships (GA)each year on a competitive basis. These awards are made through funding provided by the Graduate
School and the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. These positions
serve as apprenticeships for teaching and/or research in sociology. GAs are provided a monthly stipend and a
partial tuition waiver of up to 75% and a 10% discount on books purchased for
classes. Each GA is assigned to a faculty
member and given office space and other university privileges. Throughout their tenure as a GA, each person
can be assigned to various faculty members to assist in their teaching and
research. This is meant to give
exposure to various faculty styles of teaching and research activities. Depending on the courses taught and the
interest of the GA, faculty members are encouraged to allow their GA to give
one or more guest lectures. Faculty
members are also encouraged to monitor student lectures and provide
constructive feedback to the student.
5.2. GA
Application Process and Terms of Re-Appointment:
Students who wish to apply for a GA must submit a
letter of intent to the Graduate Coordinator.
The department normally has available 7 to 9 GA positions depending on
available funding. Award decisions are made collectively by the Sociology
department faculty usually in the Spring semester for the following academic
year. The following criteria are utilized for
the awarding of GA positions:
g.p.a
three
reference letters from professors who are familiar with the students
undergraduate or graduate course work.
potential to do graduate course work in sociology as evidenced by undergraduate
major, number of incoming program deficiencies, and current graduate course
work.
the
ability to perform the duties of a GA and meet the needs of faculty in the
areas of teaching and research.
review of other admission application materials
Graduate Students who have been awarded a GA
position may re-apply when the terms of their current GA position expires
(NOTE: There is a four-semester limit on GA positions per student). The following criteria are utilized for
re-appointment of a GA position:
g.p.a. of 3.00 or higher.
has not reached the four semester limit of awards
satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
satisfactory recommendations from supervising faculty.
the
continuing ability to perform the duties of a GA and meet the needs of faculty
in the areas of teaching and research.
5.2. Duties
and Responsibilities:
Duties and responsibilities will vary depending on
the faculty members to whom the GA is assigned. In general, GAs are expected to become familiar with the
Sociology department and its resources in order to assist students and faculty
with research and academic functions.
GAs also are expected to rotate with other GAs in coverage of the
department office if necessary throughout the semester. Duties GAs may be expected to perform are:
attend lectures of the faculty
member they are assisting.
design, administer, and
grade exams and homework assignments
prepare and present
classroom lectures.
hold office hours to
meet with students regarding lecture/exam information.
develop bibliographies
for faculty or office resources.
assist faculty through
campus library research for classes, presentations, and research.
assist in curriculum
development and evaluation.
5.3. Hours:
GAs are expected to work a set number of hours per
week (i.e., 10, 15, 20) for the entire semester. The number of hours to be worked will be outlined in the contract
for employment. In general, GAs will
find that some weeks you will put in all your assigned hours, other weeks you
will put in less. The Graduate School
forbids GAs from putting in more hours than what they are assigned. All GAs are expected to keep a ledger of
their hours and duties to be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator on a weekly
basis.