Chapter 1 Flashcards
1
Q
What Qualitative Research is NOT (Strauss and Corbin, 1998):
A
- “Not arrived at by statistical procedures or other means of quantification”
This suggests that it is the research that does not involve counting or quantifying empirical material.
2
Q
Describe the aim, data collection, and data analysis aspects of Qualitative research:
A
- Aim: Providing an in-depth and interpreted understanding of the social world of research participants.
○ This is through learning of their social and material circumstances, experiences, perspectives, and histories. - Data collection:
- Small in scale and purposively selected (based on the important aspects of the criteria).
○ Although the cases are small in scale, they are rich in information and very extensive.
- Involves the researcher in close contact with the research participants. - Data analysis: analysis of the data is open to emerging theories or concepts.
○ This may identify patterns of association, develop typologies and explanations, or produce detailed descriptions.
3
Q
Positivism vs Interpretivism:
A
- Positivism: Focuses on objective facts and scientific methods.
○ Objective facts–> Reliant on quantitative data - Interpretivism: Focuses on subjective understanding and social context.
○ Subjective understanding–> Uses qualitative data.
4
Q
Beliefs and practices associated with positivism: (6)
A
- Methods of the natural sciences are appropriate for studying social phenomenon.
- Only observable phenomena can be counted as knowledge.
- Knowledge is developed through accumulating verified facts
- Those verified facts are used to produce scientific theories and therefore create hypotheses - these are to be tested empirically.
- Observations are the final arbiter in theoretical disputes.
- Facts and values are distinct meaning it is possible to investigate objective outcomes.
5
Q
Beliefs and practices associated with interpretivism: (4)
A
- Not only does perception relate to senses, but to human interpretations of what our senses tell us.
- Our knowledge of the world is based on ‘understanding’ –> Specifically thinking about what happens to us, not just simply from having bad experiences.
- Knowing and knowledge transcend basic empirical findings.
- There is a distinction between:
a. Scientific reason- Based on casual determinism
b. Practical reason - Based on moral freedom and decision making.
6
Q
Wilhelm Dilthey’s contribution to interpretivism:
A
- He suggested that we turn to “lived experiences” to reveal connections between the social, cultural, and historical aspects of people’s lives.
○ This provides context in which particular actions take place.- Self-determination and human creativity play important roles in guiding our actions.
7
Q
Max Weber’s role in interpretivist and positivist approaches:
A
- Weber built a bridge between interpretivist and positivist approaches.
○ Direct observational understanding
§ Natural sciences- the purpose of producing law-like propositions
○ Explanatory (or motivational) understanding
§ Social sciences- purpose of understanding the subjective reasoning behind meaningful experiences.- He states that the researcher should understand the meaning of social actions (interpretivism) within the context of the material conditions (positivism) in which people live.
8
Q
Interpretivism definition:
A
- Where the interpretation as well as observation is combined in understanding the social world.
9
Q
Define Ontology
A
Put simply it is the study of existance. It is used to determine what exists or not.
10
Q
There are 3 distinct positions which determine whether there is a captive social reality and how it should be constructed:
A
- Realism:
○ There is an external reality which exists independently of people’s beliefs or understanding about it.
There is a distinction between:
§ What the world is
§ How people perceive the world to be - Materialism:
○ There is a real world but only material features.
§ These material features hold reality (economic relations, physical features, etc…).
○ Values, beliefs or experiences are “epiphenomena”.
§ Meaning they are features which arise from the material world, but do not shape it. - Idealism:
○ Reality is only captured from the human mind and through socially constructed meanings.
These positions have been debated and modified overtime- commonly to reduce the extremity of these theories.
i.e. Subtle Realism- this states that there is independence between reality and a person’s perception of reality, however it can only be accessed through these representations.
11
Q
Define Value-free:
A
This means within a scientific experiment, the outcome is objective, nothing else may influence the outcome.
12
Q
Define Epistemology:
A
Studies how we can know about the existance of something.
13
Q
What are the 3 issues with epistemology:
A
- Can a researcher be objective in his approach to obtain value-free research?
- When is something the truth?
a. When there is a match between observation of the natural world and an independent reality?
b. When different accounts confirm an explanation?
c. When an interpretation leads to actions that produce the desired result? - In what way should knowledge be obtained?
a. Inductively
b. Deductively
14
Q
Define Inductive reasoning: (3)
A
- Conducting an observation
- Recognizing a pattern(/hypothesis)
- Coming to a conclusion
15
Q
Define Deductive reasoning: (5)
A
- Taking current and existing knowledge
- Formulating a hypothesis
- Collecting data towards the hypothesis
- Testing the hypothesis
- Reject/Do NOT Reject hypothesis (Never accept a hypothesis)
