For men, having leisure time with their nuclear families was important, and role balance decreased as work hours increased (Marks, Huston, Johnson, & MacDermid, 2001).Marks, S. For women, having more paid work hours and more couple time were among the most important factors. They found that different factors are important for different genders. In another study, Marks and colleagues examined the conditions under which husbands and wives feel the most balance across their many roles.

In this study, the researchers found that people who experience balance across their multiple roles and activities report lower levels of depression and higher levels of self-esteem and well-being than their less-balanced counterparts. draw from prior microlevel theories to empirically study how people balance their roles and identities. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58, 417–432. Multiple roles and the self: A theory of role balance. In one study, Marks and Shelley MacDermid (1996)Marks, S.

Work by Stephen Marks offers an excellent example of research at the micro level. The particular level of inquiry might shape a sociologist’s questions about the topic, or a sociologist might view the topic from different angles depending on the level of inquiry being employed.įirst let’s consider some examples of different topics that are best suited to a particular level of inquiry. Some topics are best suited to be examined at one particular level, while other topics can be studied at each of the three different levels. Let’s take a closer look at some specific examples of sociological research to better understand each of the three levels of inquiry described previously. A study of globalization that examines the interrelationships between nations would be an example of a macrolevel study. In recent years, sociologists have become increasingly interested in the process and impacts of globalization. Research at the macro level examines large-scale patterns. At the macro level, sociologists examine social structures and institutions. Sociologists who conduct mesolevel research might study how norms of workplace behavior vary across professions or how children’s sporting clubs are organized, to cite two examples. When sociologists investigate groups, their inquiry is at the meso level. In each of these cases, the level of inquiry is micro. Or perhaps a sociologist is interested in how a person’s perception of self is influenced by his or her social context. Microlevel analyses might include one-on-one interactions between couples or friends. These three levels demonstrate that while sociologists share some common beliefs about the value of investigating and understanding human interaction, at what level they investigate that interaction will vary.Īt the micro level, sociologists examine the smallest levels of interaction even in some cases, just “the self” alone. Describe a macrolevel approach to research, and provide an example of a macrolevel study.īefore we discuss the more specific details of paradigms and theories, let’s look broadly at three possible levels of inquiry on which social scientific investigations might be based.Describe a mesolevel approach to research, and provide an example of a mesolevel study.Describe a microlevel approach to research, and provide an example of a microlevel study.Macrostructures: An interdisciplinary study of global structures in discourse, interaction, and cognition. Macro/micro: A brief introduction to sociology. Towards an integration of micro- and macrosociologies.

Advances in social theory and methodology. Berkeley: University of California Press. The constitution of society: Outline of the theory of structuration. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link)

Macro vs micro sociology examples