3b - Methodological issues – How has ethnicity been researched, and how successful has this been?

Question 1

Ken Pryce

Answer 1

participant observation (case study) study of a single West Indian community in the St Paul’s area of Bristol attempted, at one level, simply to understand that particular community
High in validity as there is no reason to lie so there's a comprehensive understanding of the group under study

Question 2

Gough

Answer 2

Case study of Nayar society showed that family structures based upon a marital bond are not universal . Case studies can also be used to produce typologies, or a set of categories defining types of a social phenomenon.
High in validity as it can develop more general theoretical statements about regularities in social structure and process

Question 3

Alexander - The Asian gang

Answer 3

Used ethnographic research based on forming relationships with respondents using interviews and partly observations to investigate the stereotype of young Asian men as violent and criminal. She investigated young Asians aged 16-22 at the Stoneleigh asian youth organisation (SAYO)
Gained rapport and had consent after 18 months of spending time with them- ethics
Rapport was increased as it was in their own homes

Question 4

case study

Answer 4

A case study involves the detailed examination of a single example of something, thus a case study could involve the study of a single institution, community or social group, an individual person, a particular historical event, or a single social action. In general, case studies make no claims to be representative.

Question 5

Labour Force Survey

Answer 5

A systematic random sample of 650 addresses is drawn from the Land and Property Services Agency list each quarter (every three months). First wave interviews are carried out by a team of interviewers who call at each address and attempt to obtain an interview. Questions are asked of every adult member of the household (aged 16 and over), with a few questions relating to each child in the household. The method used is a quantitative interviewer led questionnaire where the possible answers are pre coded (limited choice like a in a multiple choice). In the first instance the interview is face to face by telephone interviews are used thereafter.