Qualitative Field Research

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Chapter 10

• Qualitative Field Research

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Chapter Outline

• Introduction
• Topics Appropriate to Field Research
• Special Considerations in Qualitative Field
  Research
• Some Qualitative Field Research Paradigms

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Chapter Outline

• Conducting Qualitative Field Research
• Strengths and Weaknesses or Qualitative Field
  Research
• Research Ethics in Qualitative Field Research

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INTRODUCTION

• REMEMBER What people say they would or do---is
  not always what they would actually do! (E.G.,
  Babbiespublic helping)
• FIELD RESEARCH Has advantage of probing social
  life in its natural habitat. (All Research
  Designs have purpose.)

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TOPICS FOR FIELD RESEARCH

• Field Research Obtains data either by
  observation or interview.
• FRProvides more indepth data.
• FRProvides qualitative data.
• FRAttempts to understand (indepth) SOCIAL LIFE!
• FRNo Hypotheses
• FRComprehensive/Processual (Inductive and
  Deductive Dialectic)

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FIELD RESEARCH STUDIES SOCIAL PROCESS

• Study occurs in natural setting.
• See things/learn things you would miss with
  surveys or experiments.
• E.G., Charismatic Study
• E.G., Black Like Me
• E.G., Pat Moores Aging Study

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ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE APPROPRIATE TO FIELD
RESEARCH

• Practices talking, reading a book
• Episodes divorce, crime, illness
• Encounters people meeting and interacting
• Role occupations, family roles
• Relationships friendships, family

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ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL LIFE APPROPRIATE TO FIELD
RESEARCH

• Groups cliques, teams, work groups
• Organizations hospitals, schools
• Settlements neighborhoods, ghettoes
• Social worlds "wall street", "the sports world
• Lifestyles (subcultures) urban, homeless

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THOMPSON ON FIELD RESEARCH

• Qualitative Research Designsuse systematic
  observation and interviews.
• Focus is on the meanings and interpretations
  people give their social actions.

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THOMPSON E.G., SATANISM STUDY

• Kathleen Lowney spent 5 years doing ethnographic
  field research on a satanic adolescent subculture
  in Southern community
• On outskirts of town (Friday night) The Coven
  (self-appointed name) meet for weekly rituals.

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SATAN STUDY CONT.

• Began interviewing members of the press, local
  law enforcement officials, school
  administrators
• She read popular and academic books on Satanism
• She developed a list of whom she thought was
  involved

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STUDY CONT. . .

• She observed from a distance and later began
  casual conversations, followed up with interviews
• Coven had 35 membersall whiteall middle or
  upper middle class33 female/female was leader
• Analysismembers were not mentally ill.
• Nor did they engage in serious criminal activity.

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STUDY CONT. . .

• Did participate in underage drinking, minor
  vandalism, and other violations typical kids do.
• Why did they joinmembership functions included
  challenging the status quo (cheerleaders, sports,
  Christian values)
• Provided social clique where members got status,
  recognition, and social identity.

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SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Roles of Observer (continuum)
• Participant.Observer
• Complete...Partial
• Major Concern---reactivitythe problem that
  subjects may react to the being studiedaltering
  normal behavior.
• Major Concernresearcher may affect group process.

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MORE CONSIDERATIONS

• Deception---sometimes you really have to do this.
  Why?? Only deceive subjects when you really
  believe that the data will be more reliable and
  valid.
• Researcher can vary participant and observer, as
  well as time spent with the group.

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RELATIONS TO SUBJECTS

• Robert Bellah---symbolic realismterm indicating
  social researchers should treat the beliefs they
  study as worthy of respect.
• Yetyou must be objective and avoid going too
  native!
• Rememberwhere you interview can affect reponses.
  (E.G., Homeless example)

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FIELD RESEARCH PARADIGMS1) Naturalism

• Naturalism1930s, Chicago School of Sociology.
  We go out there and study what really is.
• E.G., William F. WhyteStreet Corner Societydid
  ethnography (detailed/accurate description)studie
  s street gangs.

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2) ETHNOMETHODOLOGY

• Study of social life that focuses on discovery of
  implicitly, unspoken assumptions/agreements.
• Uses breeching experimentsto reveal their
  existence.

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3) GROUNDED THEORY

• Inductive Approachstudy social life to generate
  a theory from the observations. (3 things must
  do)
• 1) Periodically step back and askWhat is going
  on here?
• 2) Maintain Skepticism
• 3) Follow research procedures

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4) CASE STUDIES

• Focus on one or a few cases of some
  phenomenonvillage, gang, family.
• Extended Case Methodused to alter theories. Lay
  out what expect to find and compare.

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5) INSTITUTIONAL ETHNOGRAPHY

• Dorothy Smith developed thispersonal experiences
  of individuals are used to reveal power
  relationships in institutions.
• Look at the personal experiences now of any
  oppressed groupto uncover institutional
  discrimination and other practices.

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6) PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH

• The people being studied are given control over
  the purpose/procedures of the research.
• Researcher serves as a resourcesubjects define
  their problems, their remedies, and take the lead
  in the research that will help them.

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PREPARING FOR FIELD WORK

• Fill in your knowledge of the subjectwith
  library research.
• Discuss the group you plan to research with an
  informant.
• Develop an identity with the people to be
  studied.
• Realize that your initial contact with the group
  can influence your observations.

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SEVEN STAGES OF INTERVIEWING

• Qualitative Interviewingnatural, easy
  interaction with researcher and subject.
  (Conversational Flow)
• Thematizingclarifying purpose
• Designlaying out process (ethics)
• Interviewingactual interviews
• Transcribinghardest work ever

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SEVEN STAGES OF INTERVIEWING cont. . .

• Analyzingdeterminingwhat is the meaning of this
  information?
• Verifying and checking factscheck reliability
  and validity of material
• ReportingTell others what you found

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ADVANTAGES OF FOCUS GROUPS

• Socially oriented research method (12-15 people)
  (Group Interviewing)
• Flexible
• High face validity
• Speedy results
• Low in cost

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DISADVANTAGES OF FOCUS GROUPS

• Less control than individual interviews.
• Data can be difficult to analyze.
• Moderators must be skilled.

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DISADVANTAGES OF FOCUS GROUPS cont. . .

• Difference between groups can be troublesome.
• Groups are difficult to assemble.
• Discussion must be conducted in a conducive
  environment.

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GUIDELINES - TAKING RESEARCH NOTES

• Dont trust your memory. Take notes while you
  observe.
• Take sketchy notes in the field and rewrite them
  later, filling in the details.
• Get observations/interpretations written down.

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GUIDELINES - TAKING RESEARCH NOTES cont.

• Record everything.
• Things that don't seem important may turn out to
  be significant.
• Realize that most of your field notes will not be
  reflected in your final project.

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STRENGTHS OF FIELD RESEARCH

• Permits a great depth of understanding.
• Flexibility - research may be modified at any
  time.
• Inexpensive
• Has more validity than surveys or experiments.

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WEAKNESSES OF FIELD RESEARCH

• Qualitative and not appropriate for statistical
  descriptions of populations.
• Has potential problems with reliability since
  field research methods are often personal.

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IS IT ETHICAL?

• To talk to people when they don't know you will
  be recording their words?
• To get information for your own purposes from
  people you hate?
• To see a severe need for help and not respond to
  it directly?

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IS IT ETHICAL? Cont. . .

• To be in a situation but not commit yourself
  wholeheartedly to it?
• To be strategic in your relations with others?
• To take sides or avoid taking sides in a
  factionalized situation?

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IS IT ETHICAL? Cont. . .

• To "pay" people with tradeoffs for access to
  their lives and minds?
• To "use" people as allies or informants in order
  to gain entrée to other people or to elusive
  understandings?