Research Design

The sociology of television has developed into what Grindstaff and Turow (2006) call video cultures—interacting and interwoven digital interactive media that disseminates cultural cues in the form of entertainment, information and advertising. The research study I propose is to explore the relationship between video culture and the sociological acceptance or rejection of the concept of “social distancing” in a post-COVID 19 world. The research question I propose is: What effect does people’s relation to video culture have on people’s acceptance or rejection of social distancing practices and norms?

To collect data for this study, I will use the semi-structured interview method, with a set of questions to ask individuals but with room to allow for digressions and spontaneously derived questions for richer, fuller and deeper investigation if a pathway to new information appears during the course of the interview with a participant. The sample will consist of a convenience sample of friends, family, co-workers, school peers, church peers, and gym peers. Though it is a convenience sample there is likely to be sufficient representation of wider society as there is ample diversity among these different groups. The sample size I would aim to reach would be at least two dozen participants, with interviews lasting approximately 10 to 15 minutes or longer if it is deemed that more information is forthcoming.

I cannot foresee any struggles completing the struggle since the sample is convenience. The only possible difficulty might be devising the right set of interview questions for obtaining the necessary data. As far as the research being ethical, I do not see any problems here, and I would obtain every participant’s informed consent before interviewing them.

References

Grindstaff, L., & Turow, J. (2006). Video cultures: Television sociology in the “new TV” age. Annu. Rev. Sociol., 32, 103-125.