Case Studies

Question 1

Laboratory experiments case study

Answer 1

Hawthorne Factory USA 1920s - depends on subjects responding to the variables the researcher introduces and not reacting to the fact they are being studied

Question 2

Field experiments case study

Answer 2

1. Rosenthal and Jacobson 1968 - manipulated teachers’ expectations of pupils giving them misleading data.

Question 3

Questionnaires case study

Answer 3

1. Schofield 1965 - research on sexual behaviour of teenagers - replied to the question are you a virgin = no not yet

Question 4

Structured interviews case study

Answer 4

Reinharz 1993 - research as rape - the researchers take hit and run

Question 5

Official statistics case study

Answer 5

1. Marxist - politically sensitive data showing unequal society removed e.g. since 1980s data derived from analysis of census returns no longer includes class difference in death rates

Question 6

Unstructured interviews case studies

Answer 6

Dobash and Dobash 1971 - used unstructured interviews along with police reports to gain insight into domestic violence

Question 7

Participants/ non participant observation case studies

Answer 7

Holdaway 1999 - understanding the police investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence

Question 8

Documents cast study

Answer 8

Keith Soothill and Sylvia Walby 1991 - thematic analysis of ways newspapers reported rape cases

Question 9

Covert observation case study

Answer 9

Laud Humphrey’s tea room trade 1970/ 1975 - study of homosexual cottaging

Question 10

Overt observation case study

Answer 10

William F Whyte 1955 - too involved ‘started as a non participating observer ended as a non observing participant’