Sociology for Nurses

1. Give two reasons (with examples) why sociology is not the same as ‘common sense’.

2. Name two sociologists associated with structural theories of society, and two sociologists associated with action theories.

3. For each of the following statements, say whether structural or action theories of society best explain the behaviour: hospital workers wearing uniforms; creating distinct and well-defined roles for different professions, such as nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists; employing a range of different methods for promoting healthy eating (e.g. written information, visual leaflets, practical demonstrations); spending more money on researching the production of potentially lucrative drugs; attending a course on improving listening skills when working with patients.

4. A Lickert scale might most commonly be used in which form of research, quantitative or qualitative?

5. Name two forms of research methods that might be used in qualitative research.

6. What are the possible problems of overt and covert participant observation?

Click here for answers.

Return to Test Your Knowledge Index