Qualitative Research in Sociology

Qualitative Research in Sociology is intended as a hands-on guide to doing qualitative research in sociology. It provides an introductory survey of the methodological and theoretical dimensions of qualitative research as practiced by those interested in the study of social life. Through sociologically-oriented exercises and examples, students are introduced to the dynamic interplay between the theory and practice of qualitative research. In this sense, this work has two primary objectives. On the one hand, it encourages students to critically evaluate the research process and its findings in relation to collecting, analyzing and representing observations about society. At the same time, using examples and end-of-chapter exercises, I offer how-to advice on conceptualizing, analyzing and writing qualitative projects. Qualitative Research in Sociology is thus organized into eight chapters. Chapter One compares and contrasts qualitative and quantitative research perspectives and discusses how they relate to the discipline of sociology as a whole. Chapter Two looks at how interviews are conceptualized and practiced in terms of "structured" and "unstructured" protocols. Chapter Three discusses ethnography (its history, basic procedures and various forms). Chapter Four puts forth an overview of qualitative research using visual materials such as videos, photographs, movies and television programs. Chapter Five deals with data analysis based on narrative, discourse and conversation analysis techniques. Chapter Six focuses on writing and reporting the research findings. Chapter Seven considers ethical and moral issues involved in working with human subjects. Chapter Eight, summarizes the latest developments in the field (e.g., postmodernism and feminism) and points to future trends