ch 12 Flashcards
Content analysis
An approach to the analysis of documents and texts that seeks to quantify content in terms of predetermined categories in a systematic and replicable manner. The term is sometimes used in connection with qualitative research as well; see qualitative content analysis.
semiotics
An approach to the analysis of documents and other materials that emphasizes the importance of signs and symbols, seeking out their deeper meaning and exploring their intended effects.
hermeneutics
An approach to the interpretation of texts that emphasizes the need to understand them from the perspective of their authors.
conversation analysis
The fine-grained analysis of talk (recorded in naturally occurring situations and then transcribed) to uncover the underlying structures in interaction that make social order possible. Conversation analysis is grounded in ethnomethodology.
discourse analysis
An approach to the analysis of talk and other forms of communication that emphasizes the way language can create versions of reality.
what is ethnomethodolog, what roots in it
A sociological perspective concerned with the way social order is established and maintained through talk and interaction; the intellectual foundation of conversation analysis.
critical discourse analysis
A type of content analysis that brings issues such as power hierarchies, structural inequalities, and historical political struggles to bear on the analyses of texts.
five W’s that are the basis of any news report. researchers are also interested in
who (does the reporting); what (gets reported); where (does the issue get reported); why (does the issue get reported); and when (does it get reported. in what it omits (criminal parents example)
documents
can be “read” (including visual materials such as photographs); and
* was not produced specifically for the purpose of social research.
documents are important because they are _____ and _____
unobtrusive and non-reactive
reactive
The effect on research participants of knowing that they are being studied, which may result in atypical or inauthentic behaviour.
The fact that the subjects don’t know they are being studied removes a common threat to the
validity of the data
distictions in document (4)
personal private
personal state
official private
official state
4 criteria for assessing the quality of document
- Authenticity. Is the evidence genuine and of unquestionable origin? (differet from ch 9)
- Credibility. Is the evidence free from error and distortion?
- Representativeness. Is the evidence typical of what it is supposed to represent (for example, social life at a particular time and place)? If not, is the extent of its uniqueness known?
- Meaning. Is the evidence clear and comprehensible?
life history
A method (often referred to as the biographical method) that emphasizes the inner experience of individuals and its connections with larger societal events throughout the life course. It usually entails life history interviews and the use of personal documents as data
two credibility concerns
if factual and what is not said can be significant
representative issue
those who were literal were those who were privileged
three types of home photography
idealization (a formal portrait of a wedding party or the family in its finery); natural portrayal (an informal snapshot capturing action as it happens, though there may be a contrived component); and demystification (depicting the subject in an atypical—often embarrassing—situation).
Which criterion for assessing the quality of documents is most important in the case of personal documents?
Authenticity
Which group is disproportionately represented by letters, diaries, and autobiographies?
The wealthy
Which criteria for assessing the quality of documents do government documents typically meet?
Authenticity and meaning
_______ are a rich source of statistical information.
Government documents correct