Theme 4: Quantitative research (after)

The difference between the two methods (qualitative and quantitative) is sometimes difficult to see. By choosing method it can affect the results in a research paper which is quite interesting. It is very important to be a bit critical when reading these papers, because by using one kind of method can change the outcome in the paper. It is also very good to keep in mind to be critical about results while depending on the authors skills the results can give different answers. 

Theme 4: Quantitative research (before)

1. Which quantitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?

The quantitative method that are used in the paper “Social Networking Sites: Their Users and Social Implications - A Longitudinal Study” is longitudinal survey. The paper has send out a survey three times (the years 2008, 2009 and 2010). The benefits of using surveys are that a lot of data can be found because one can have different kinds of questions (but not necessarily many questions) to get a lot empirical data and also that it is quite easy to get users to answer it (especially when it doesn’t require a lot of time). One of the limitations is that to be able to generalize according to the hypothesis, the data and the number of users answering the survey needs to be big.  

2. What did you learn about quantitative methods from reading the paper?

From reading the paper I learned that quantitative methods like using surveys is a good and effective way to get a lot of numbers and data. One can form a survey to get the data that is wanted to the research. A lot of analyzing can be done of all the data and easily pictured graphically. The problem is that it is difficult to generalize just by using surveys, like they did in the paper. I think a survey is a good method if it is used with other methods to complement the study. With a survey it is hard to guarantee that the answers are correct and reliable. On the other hand, in the paper they used a firm working with surveys professionally which seems that the surveys are of very high quality.

3. Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the quantitative method or methods have been improved?

The main methodological problem of the study is that it has no qualitative results. The use of the method could be improved by complementing it with other methods to get even stronger and more findings to answer the hypothesis questions. Another thing was that the dropout rate (number of users answering the first survey but not the other two in the other years) was high. According to the paper this is normal and doesn’t affect the results and by comparing the data with a cross-data consistency check with another ongoing research, it makes the data more reliable.

1. Which are the benefits and limitations of using quantitative methods?

The benefits of quantitative methods are that one can get a large number of data, quite easy method to reach a larger population and get statistics. The limitations are not always reliable, do not always suit all types of researches and does not include any deeper information.

2. Which are the benefits and limitations of using qualitative methods?

The benefits of using qualitative methods are that one can get more detailed data and information from users and also get deeper in the subject. The limitations are that it is more difficult to get a large number of data from users which make it more difficult to generalize, it also requires good knowledge about the method to get right kind of data (for example how to interview etc.). 

Theme 3: Research and theory (after)

It is very interesting to get a deeper understanding of what theory really is (and what it is not). It is quite good to analyze deeper and more in detail in research papers to really see the different parts they consist of. This is also good for the future and when doing your own research so that one knows what is important to look after in papers and also be aware of the complexity behind theory. 

Theme 3: Research and theory (before)

I believe the journal called “Journal of communication” edited by Malcolm Parks is important for media technology research while all sorts of communication is a central area in media technology. The journal publishes articles about communication theories and research. Some examples of articles are insurgent propaganda, cultivation theory, interactivity in online news discussions, the twitterization of news making, social networks and popular understanding of science and health and the power of writing in organizations: from letters to online interactions. The journal is published every second month and is peer-reviewed and has the impact factor of 2.011.

“The benefits of Facebook “friends:” social capital and college students” is a paper about finding out the relationship between the social network site Facebook and the formation and maintenance of social capital.

The paper proposes several hypotheses which are clearly stated. It is a bit unclear in the beginning, while they are written after a quite long introduction. The hypothesis are as well not gathered together, but separated by text.  On the other hand, the relationships between them are well outlined as well as the explanations and theoretic parts. The main hypothesis are “Intensity of Facebook use will be positively associated with individuals’ perceived bridging social capital.” and “Intensity of Facebook use will be positively associated with individuals’ perceived bonding social capital.”The background information is integrated in the introduction and hypothesis questions. This is at first sight a bit confusing, but the structure suits the paper. The research method used in the paper is quantitative methods since they use a survey for collecting all kinds of data from the college students regarding they use of Facebook and internet and personal information. To measure different aspects, they use scales which are clearly shown. Graphic pictures are used to present the data. The figures are very small, which make them difficult to read and understand. The data is also integrated in text. In the discussion the main question is discussed. The findings are as well brought up and also some theoretical findings. A slightly odd thing is that limitations and future research is also included in the discussion. These parts should maybe have been in the end of the paper. One of the main conclusions is that there is a connection between Facebook usage and social capital which is also positive (which is stated in the hypothesis). Overall a good research paper and is easy to follow. 

1. Briefly explain to a first year university student what theory is, and what theory is not.

Theory is explanations of something, tested through scientific methods. Theory is how something can be done and why something is what it is to get an understanding. Theory is not only statements, hypothesis, methods or just data.  

2. Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the theory or theories be characterized as?

The major theory in the paper is that Facebook usage has positive connections with the social capital and is in some way proved by the survey and the analysis of the collected data. According to the table it would probably be the number three “Prediction” while it says what it is and has testable propositions but does have well-developed justificatory causal explanations.

3. Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?

A benefit of the theory “prediction” is that “it says what it is” and can give an answer and state. The limitation of the theory on the other hand is that it doesn’t use any well-developed justificatory explanations which mean that the theory can’t apply on every similar case and make a generalization.  

Theme 2: Critical media studies (after)

At the seminar we got a paper with discussion questions about the two texts. We talked about Adorno & Horkheimer’s arguments in the texts as well as Walter Benjamin’s political opinions. We also discussed about the concepts of “idée world” (idévärlden) and the “material world” (sinnevärlden). One can imagine the story of people sitting in jail (or a cave) with their backs leaning against the bars keeping them in the room. They look at the wall and see people dancing or something else, so they think they know what they see but instead they see the shadows of a fire that is placed behind their backs. It is the fire causing the moving pictures on the wall, but the people don’t see the fire, they only see what they think they see. This is a good comparison of the world we see today, maybe there are other things “in the reality” that only causes this illusion of our world. 

Theme 2: Critical media studies (before)

1. Dialectic of Enlightenment

 a. What is "Enlightenment"?

Enlightenment had the aim to overrun fantasy and myths with knowledge. Enlightenment is advanced thoughts, power and totalitarian. It is knowledge about the world and was used to enlighten people and change myths and as well liberating people from fear and instead make them masters. To take away injustice of the old inequality and fear, enlightenment relates all things that exist to all other things.

b. What is "dialectic"?

Dialectic is the art of investigating and discussing the truth of opinions. Since knowledge is perception, one has to investigate which experience is the most truthful, but also investigate all opinions that are not.

c. What is "nominalism" and why is it an important concept in the text?

Nominalism is a way of thinking regarding physical things and abstract things. The physical things or objects exist and the abstract things do not. It preserves what we can see and is not questioning it. It also destroys myths which make it a bit easier for people to understand the world. It is important in the text because it is explained both to be good (enlightenment) and also to be a bad thing (not questioning the society and if things are right/wrong).

d. What is the meaning and function of "myth" in Adorno and Horkheimer's argument?

Myths were made up so that there could be clarification to the people about things that couldn’t be explained. The stories took place because of fear of the things that were unknown.

2. "The Work of Art in the Age of Technical Reproductively"

a. In the beginning of the essay, Benjamin talks about the relation between "superstructure" and "substructure" in the capitalist order of production. What do the concepts "superstructure" and "substructure" means in this context and what is the point of analyzing cultural production from a Marxist perspective?

Superstructure is an ideology production of culture and religion (like concepts and laws etc.). This structure changes more slowly. Substructure is the general production of economy and politics. It defines the society and the future. The point of analyzing those two structures is that they depend on each other and how people behave.

b. Does culture have revolutionary potentials (according to Benjamin)? If so, describe these potentials. Does Benjamin's perspective differ from the perspective of Adorno & Horkheimer in this regard?

Yes culture has revolutionary potentials. He thinks for example that photography can change the society in a revolutionary way. The perspective of Adorno & Horkheimer differs a bit because they think that technology has revolutionary potentials rather than cultural ways.

c. Benjamin discusses how people perceive the world through the senses and argues that this perception can be both naturally and historically determined. What does this mean? Give some examples of historically determined perception (from Benjamin's essay and/or other contexts).

It means that this perception can be affected by historical phenomena that people have experienced or only naturally that it is shown. The perception is determined not only by how things are seen but also what historical things have happened in people’s lives. An example he brings up is the roman art and how people got new and changed ways of seeing art.   

d. What does Benjamin mean by the term "aura"? Are there different kinds of aura in natural objects compared to art objects?

By aura Benjamin means the unique part of objects in the moment. Natural objects have shadows, reflections and other things because of distance and space creating an aura. While art objects like pictures differ from natural objects because they can’t have the same aura, they are not unique anymore since they are reproduced.

  

Theme 1: Theory of knowledge and theory of science (after)

At the seminar we got more explanations and clarity about the different terms and concepts in this philosophic theme. We talked about a priori, synthetic knowledge, how we can judge different things by math and metaphysics, critic of pure reason and how knowledge of the world is always structured according to time and space. Another interesting topic we discussed was how objects are defined and that they need to have a form not only a description like “it is black”. It also needs to be an experience with the object and it has to be in space to be called object. Knowledge is a reflection of the world and there exists form (object) because of the human being. An important quote says “Perception without conception is blind. Conception without perception is empty.” The thing that happens when old knowledge is changed with new knowledge is that we live in another world. A term of meaning is not only fact, but also learning’s from philosophy. A good example that was brought up in the seminar was when we feel panic or anxious. We are for a moment “not there”, but we are trying to get back to the world. We have kind of one leg outside when we have panic and see the world through other eyes. We don’t see the world as we do when everything is calm and normal; we see other things from “above”.