What is Qualitative Research?

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What is Qualitative Research?
A lecture by
Dr Christopher Kollmeyer

• Sociology 3522
• 1 Feb. 2007

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Key Epistemological Question Can the social
world be studied with the same methods and
principles used in the natural sciences?

• YES ? Positivism and deductive research
• Theories
• Hypotheses
• Measurement
• Variables
• Proxies

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Example of Research in the Positivistic Tradition

• Kollmeyer, C. 2003. Globalization, Class
  Compromise, and American Exceptionalism.
  Critical Sociology 29(3).
• Tests completing theories about globalization and
  egalitarianism
• Five General Steps
• Review theories
• Strong and Weak Globalization Thesis
• Generate hypotheses from theories
• Measurement validity and data gathering
• Findings
• Revisit theories

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Key Ontological Question Does the social world
contain forces that operate wholly independent of
individual social actors?

• Yes Objectivism ? positivistic approach
• Social forces seen as external realities lying
  beyond our control
• No Constructionism ? interpretive approach
• People and groups often actively participate in
  creating and interpreting social forces. They are
  embedded in the social process. Its not
  external to them.

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Structure, Agency, and Reflexivity
Social Forces
A
Free Will
Z
Social Reproduction or Social Change
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Key Epistemological Question Can the social
world be studied with the same methods and
principles used in the natural sciences?

• NO?Interpretativism (or Verstehen)
• Focuses on understanding motivations for
  actions rather than anonymous social forces
  operating beyond the individuals control
• Emphasizes the subjects point of view and how it
  influences behaviour.
• Inductive research

General Ideas ? Collect Data ? Develop Findings
? Revise theories
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Example of Research in the Interpretivistic
Tradition

• Duneier, Mitchell. 1999. Sidewalk. New York FSB
• Basic Steps
• Interests in Causes of Urban Social Disorder
• Broken Widows Thesis
• Pick Site for Field Work
• Participant-Observer
• Conceptualize Findings / Generate Theoretical
  Insights
• Reframe Original Research Question

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Key Difference Between Quantitative and
Qualitative Research