Sociology Report on Methodology: Indian Marriage Preference Study 2017

This report details the methodology employed in a study investigating marriage preferences in India. The research utilized a descriptive research design to determine whether individuals in Indian society favored love marriages or arranged marriages. The study targeted a population of 1000 people across two Indian states, Maharashtra and Bihar, aiming for diverse socio-cultural representation. A stratified random sampling technique was implemented, resulting in a sample size of 350 respondents after data validation. Data collection involved both primary and secondary sources, including semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data analysis was performed using SPSS, with results presented through bar charts, pie charts, graphs, and frequency distribution tables. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the research process, from design to analysis, offering insights into the study's approach to understanding marriage preferences.

Running head: Methodology 1
Methodology
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October 11, 2017

Methodology 2
Methodology
A Research design is the organization of circumstances for data gathering in a way that is
applicable the aim of the study. (Creswell, 2013). This also includes testing the hypothesis as
well as answering the question at hand. It is used extensively and widely to describe attitudes,
behaviors, values, and characteristics. This study adopted a descriptive research design which
aimed at ascertaining whether people in the Indian Society preferred love marriages or arranged
marriages.
Target Population
Neuman, & Robson (2014) defines target population as the widespread research of all the
subjects of the actual area of interest, occasions or purposes to which a researcher desires to
generalize the outcomes. This survey was carried out in two different states in India to get
diverse socio-cultural and geographic setting and not to be biased in the data collection from a
specific state. This includes Maharashtra and Bihar. The target population was 1000 people. The
population target was not achieved because not all turned out for the interview and some
questionnaires were misplaced or wrongly answered by the respondents.
Sampling Design and Procedure
A sample is a small number of elements that are selected to represent the entire population size
(Christensen et al., 2011). Stratified Random sampling was used because the team was
heterogeneous and the researcher wanted equal participation. The sample size was 500 and was
arrived at using the stratified method with the strata being divided with the population in each
level. However, 350 responses were analyzed after checking for validity and reliability. The total

Methodology 3
number of respondents from the two states was 350 which included 50 unmarried men of age 16
to 30, 110 married men of age 20 to 35 and 40 unmarried women age 16 to 30 and 150 married
women of age 20 to 35
Data collection
During the data collection, both primary and secondary sources were employed. In primary first
semi-structured questionnaires were used. They were circulated to different people, randomly
selected from the sample to reduce subjectivity as well as minimize the systematic error and give
respondents ample and private time to answer the questions (Time, 2012) freely. Also, interviews
were carried out on some illiterate respondents. For the secondary sources of data, it was
obtained from textbooks, journals, online articles and related case studies, bulletin and even
magazines.
Data analysis
This research used quantitative method for data analysis. The data collected was edited correctly,
recorded, coded and grouped about the degree of relationship among the variables Bernard
(2011). After coding, it was analyzed using Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS). The
information was then presented using bar charts, pie charts, graphs for graphic presentation as
well as frequency distribution tables and means.

Methodology 4
References
Bernard, H. R. (2011). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative
approaches. Rowman Altamira. Accessed on 11 October 2017.
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e145/acdc9b70f0052326502db5f1692d64b44f80.pdf
Christensen, L. B., Johnson, B., Turner, L. A., & Christensen, L. B. (2011). Research
methods, design, and analysis.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches. Sage publications.
Neuman, W. L., & Robson, K. (2014). Basics of social research. Pearson Canada.
Time, C. (2012). Data Collection Methods. Review of Sociology, 17, 225-249. Accessed on
11 October 2017. http://si.isr.umich.edu/sites/default/files/SURV%20623%20Summer
%2016_tentative.pdf