PS398 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Qualitative Inquiry, Grounded Theory, Cultural Relativism
Document Summary
Some methods are intrinsically linked to an approach. Six primary approaches to qualitative inquiry: ethnography, grounded theory, case study, Often used in applied settings in public health and community development. Involves direct observation (emic/insider perspective), participation, relationship building. Holistic perspective; all elements of the phenomenon under study as part of an interrelated whole. Started as simple observation but has become more critical and reflexive. Challenges: time consuming, role of researcher, cultural relativism. Inductive coding from data rather than testing pre-existing hypotheses. Debates about the role of pre-existing knowledge (glaser vs strauss) Settled on idea that you cannot completely eliminate preconceived notions and biases as a researcher. Iterative: constant comparison, cycling methods, memoing, multiple analyses, theorizing along the way (lots of back and forth, does not follow exact scientific method) Usually interviews (# dependent on topic) seeking saturation in themes. Memoing is very important; write down what you"re doing, how you came to decisions.
