Sociological Research Methods
Jeannine Worthem
SOC 120
July 5, 2013
Juliet Bond
Sociological Research Methods
An article from the trade journal, Adolescent, that was published in the summer of 2006 explores the suicide attempts among Mexican American teens in special education classes. The authors, Medina and Luna, conducted a research in this area to help school educators and administrators become acquainted with the warning signs for suicide. The authors believed that this specific demographic was an additional risk group that was unnoticed in prior studies (Medina & Luna, 2006. para 3.).
The authors developed interview techniques on a small group of teens fitting the demographic. Utilizing Seidman’s phenomenological in-depth interviewing procedures, they deduced the factors contributing to the suicide causes among the youths (Medina & Luna, 2006. para 6.). The authors in turn utilized the information gathered on the causes from the small group of study participates and compared this to other studies that did not specifically focus on this demographic.
The authors determined that the suicide attempt rate is higher than those of the same age range, but differing ethnicity and comparing their findings to other previously published studies. It was also deduced; that the special education aspect of the demographic also plays a high role because of the depressive disorders normally associated (Medina & Luna, 2006. para 3.).
This research is an example of a critical methodological orientation. The authors, through this published study, are attempting to effect change in the policies and procedures of educators working with these students within the demographics. This is apparent in the publication as it does not just provide the data (fact, figures, ratios, etc) but also includes portions of the transcripts from the interviews as the opening paragraph of each risk factor....