Qualitative Social Research Methods

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Qualitative Social Research Methods

• SOCP0062
• Leah Wild
• Week 1

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Week 1 outline

• Overview of course - handbook
• Review of qualitative methods
• Choosing a topic for the assignment
• Working in groups

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Qualitative research

• Linked with phenomenology
• Gives in-depth insights
• Explores the meaning people give to life
• Explores agency rather than structure
• Concerned with processes' rather than outcomes

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Qualitative research - continued

• Involves topic guides un/semi-structured
• In-depth interviews
• Participant observation
• Group discussions
• Analysis of secondary data
• Computer analysis of data

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Range of qualitative methodsMarshall and Rossman
(1999)

• Secondary Methods
• Life Histories and Narrative Inquiry
• Historical analysis
• Films, videos and photographs
• Vignettes.
• Questionnaires and surveys

• Primary Methods
• Participation
• Observation
• In-depth interviewing
• Case studies
• Reviewing documents

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WEAKNESSES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

• Reliability
• Meaningless Information
• Time Consuming
• Representativeness Generalisability
• Objectivity Detachment
• Ethics

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ADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEWS

• Flexibility
• High response rate
• Observe non-verbal behaviour
• Correct misunderstandings
• Record spontaneous answers
• Control over times, data and place
• Complex questions

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DISADVANTAGES OF INTERVIEWS

• Costly and time consuming
• Interviewer bias
• Less anonymity
• Less effective at measuring trends, patterns etc.

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TRIANGULATION

• Data
• Investigator
• Theory
• Methodological

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Choosing a topic for your assignment

• Isolate a new/interesting research issue
• Not just descriptive
• Experts vs ordinary people
• People you know vs people you dont
• Comparative analysis.
• Views on a policy or proposed legislation.
• Ethnomethodological inquiry.

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Isolate a new/interesting research issue

• Social/policy issue (not too sensitive)
• Substantive/policy issues
• Fatherhood
• Disability, ethnicity
• Work-life balance
• Workplace harassment
• Employee participation
• Political apathy/protest
• Shopping and consumerism
• Narrow down the issue and consider new angle

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Non Policy Oriented research.

• Subjects to consider.
• Lifestyle practices and Culture.
• Identity.
• Belief and belonging.
• Responses to current events.

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Not just descriptive

• Conceptual frameworks
• Risk and insecurity
• Time and space
• Identity and difference
• Lifestage transition -rites of passage - critical
  turning points
• Structure and agency - power

• Policy frameworks
• The making of policy
• From policy to implementation
• Critiquing a particular policy

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Example research questions

• What is the impact of marriage/parenthood on
  views of gender identity?
• To what extent has the Disability Discrimination
  Act changed employers practices?
• To what extent does insecurity/risk affect
  attitudes to employment/family life/health/
  identity?
• An Examination of Attitudes to Female body hair
  in Contemporary Western Society.

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Choosing the interviewees

• Can be different types of people
• Males and females.
• Different age groups.
• Teachers and Students.
• Experts vs ordinary people
• Experts give opinions at second-hand not
  individual in-depth experiences
• Lay views likely to be very different.
• People you know vs peoples you dont

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People you know vs peoples you dont

• Advantages
• Easy to gain co-operation
• Rapport and trust already established
• Not starting from scratch
• Respondent will be open and honest?

• Disadvantages
• Awkwardness
• Prior bias
• Prior knowledge
• They will know your views
• They will not want to look bad

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Working in groups

• Forming a group
• Group rules
• Group contract
• Group journal
• Behaviour in groups
• Referee system

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Possible group rules

• Turn up to meetings
• Start and end on time
• Have an agenda
• No interrupting/putting people down
• Encourage everyone to speak
• Everyone to do as agreed and keep to deadlines

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Week 1 review

• Overview of course - handbook
• Review of qualitative methods
• Choosing a topic for the assignment
• Working in groups