Space, Culture, and Urban Policy: Integrating GIS into Social Science Research Methods Courses

San Francisco State University, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Abstract

(89) Social Science Other This project proposes to create two instructional modules to introduce undergraduate students in upper division social science research methods and data analysis courses to visualizing quantitative data and doing spatial analysis using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. The project is integrating technology into education and is addressing several problems: - the failure of the undergraduate social sciences other than geography to address spatial aspects of data; - the fear expressed by many social science students of research methods and data analysis courses - to the point of discouraging students from majoring in the social sciences; and - faculty difficulties in balancing conventional and hi-tech teaching methods. The objective of the project is to create two instructional modules -- each consisting of a textbook, CD-ROM, and website -- to augment conventional research methods and data analysis courses. The first module is being designed for social science research methods courses. The second is aimed at social science data analysis courses. The modules are using six main sources of data about cities, culture, and urban policy: United Nations Commission on Human Settlements data on cities, the 2000 U.S. Census of Housing and Population, The State of the Nation's Cities (SONC) database from the Rutgers Center for Urban Policy Research, General Social Survey (GSS)data from the National Opinion Research Center, the Roper Social Capital Benchmark 2000 data (developed under the direction of Robert Putnam of Harvard University), and state and local voting data. A five-person team will work with a national advisory panel, assisted by faculty from seven universities who will test the modules. The project involves collaboration between faculty from San Francisco State University and San Jose State University with faculty from the seven other institutions: The University of Cincinnati; Howard University; The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Medgar Evers College of the CUNY System; Georgia Institute of Technology, The University of Pittsburgh, and Cleveland State University. Experts from the University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Santa Barbara; and the Metropolitan Area Research Corporation will assist the project.