scholarly journals THE FOURTH HISTORICAL MOMENT IN SOCIAL RESEARCH ‘THE CRISIS OF REPRESENTATION’: A CHAPTER REVIEW

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (17) ◽  
pp. 138-144
Author(s):  
Asma Shughail Aqib Al Hashimi ◽  
Adi Anuar Azmin
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Fourth Moment ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Crisis Of Representation ◽  
Historical Moment

The historical moments of qualitative research reflect socially constructed quasi-historic conventions that remain crosscut and overlapping till the present. This progressive narrative is well represented and assessed in a historical overview by Denzin & Lincoln (2018) in their book “The Sage handbook of qualitative research” in the introduction “The discipline and practice of qualitative research”. Through a chapter review, this article particularly discusses the fourth moment of Quantitative research coined as “The crisis of representation”, which is believed to be the crossroads where social scientists remain entangled between the science and humanity perspective while conducting social research in order to forward social realities. This period of confusion simultaneously forwarded the multi-paradigm (positivism, postpositivism, and interpretivism), all of which have unique characteristics that are suitable for specific research. Thus, this paper sheds light on the overview of the crisis of representation and further explains the types of crises that occurred during this historical moment, including the crisis of representation, the crisis of legitimation, and a crisis of praxis. It is expected that apart from extending current literature this paper would support social scientists for selecting appropriate methods and paradigms as well as to justify their selection.

Embracing qualitative research: an act of strategic essentialism

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raza Mir
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Postcolonial Theory ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Strategic Essentialism ◽  
The Common ◽  
Good Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue that rather than contest the artificial schism produced by social scientists between “qualitative” and “quantitative” research, we should to accept this binary, however, contingently, and use it productively. This would be an act of “strategic essentialism” that would allow us to be productive in the research and inquiry. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses postcolonial theory to make a case for contingent representation, i.e. using artificial categories to carve out a space for heterodox theoretical approaches. Findings Researchers devoted to qualitative research must resist thinking, speaking and evaluating that research using quantitative thinking. Also, while ethical considerations are paramount in qualitative research, we need to debunk the narrow understanding of ethics as “following rules.” Also, qualitative researchers need to be aware of the institutional pulls that the research will be subject to, and also be ready to resist them. Originality/value This paper discusses how good research resists the siren call of institutionalization. It challenges the “common sense” assumptions of the field and brings them into the realm of the questionable. It seeks to theorize the untheorizable, and anthropologize the dominant.

Qualitative Research - State of the Art

2002 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uwe Flick
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Research Perspectives ◽  
The Future ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
German Speaking ◽  
And Gender

The background of this article is the observation that the methodological discussions about qualitative research in German-speaking and Anglo-Saxon contexts are quite different. The article gives an overview of the state of the art of qualitative research in terms of its methodological development and its establishment in the broader field of social research. After some brief remarks about the history of the field, the major research perspectives and schools of qualitative research - grounded theory, ethnomethodology, narrative analysis, objective hermeneutics, life-world analysis, ethnography, cultural and gender studies - are outlined against the background of recent developments. The establishment of qualitative research is discussed with reference to the examples of the German and International Sociological Associations (DGS and ISA), to developments in the area of textbooks and handbooks, and to the founding of specialized journals. Methodological trends such as the move to visual and electronic data, triangulation of methods and the hybridization of qualitative procedures are discussed. In conclusion some perspectives are outlined which are expected to become more important in the future of qualitative research or which are seen as demands for further clarification. Beside the use of computers and further clarification on linking qualitative and quantitative research, and the limits and problems of such linkage, further suggestions concerning the ways of presenting appropriate and at the same time compulsory criteria for qualitative research are mentioned. Trends in building schools and developing research pragmatics, on the one hand, and a tendency towards elucidation and mystification of methodological procedures, on the other hand, are identified as tensional fields in methodological discussions in qualitative research. Finally a stronger internationalization in different directions and answering the question of indication are discussed as needs for the future of qualitative research.

scholarly journals O znaczeniu badań ilościowo-jakościowych w edukacji. Próba łączenia wody z ogniem…

2017 ◽  
pp. 93-104
Author(s):  
Sławomir Trusz
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Research ◽  
Theoretical Assumptions ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Research In Education ◽  
Research Orientations ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
The One

Trusz Sławomir, O znaczeniu badań ilościowo-jakościowych w edukacji1. Próba łączenia wody z ogniem… [The Meaning of Mixed Quantitative and Qualitative Research in Education. An Attempt to Combine Fire and Water]. Studia Edukacyjne nr 44, 2017, Poznań 2017, pp. 93-104. Adam Mickiewicz University Press. ISSN 1233-6688. DOI: 10.14746/se.2017.44.6 Social research, including educational studies, could be conducted in accordance with ontological and epistemological assumptions of quantitative vs. qualitative research orientations. When such a distinction is present, the same phenomena are analyzed and presented in a significantly different and often mutually excluding way. Is such an approach justified? It seems it is not. Based on the precedence of a research subject over the method, it could be said that a more comprehensive picture of the phenomena analyzed emerges when researchers make use of methods accepted in both quantitative and qualitative research orientations. The article presents theoretical assumptions and interesting practical solutions of a mixed approach (a mixed methodology) in social research. On the one hand, solutions and methods recommended for the quantitative research can be useful for studies conducted in accordance with the assumptions of qualitative orientation, and on the other hand, solutions and methods recommended for the qualitative research may be useful for the studies conducted in accordance with the assumptions of quantitative orientation. Both approaches have been illustrated by particular examples of research practices.

Mathematical Prelude: A Selective Introduction to Logic and Set Theory for Social Scientists

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Goertz ◽  
James Mahoney
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Set Theory ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Sufficient Conditions ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Statistics And Probability ◽  
Aggregation Techniques ◽  
The Social ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient

This chapter considers some key ideas from logic and set theory as they relate to qualitative research in the social sciences, including ideas concerning necessary and sufficient conditions. It also highlights a major contrast between qualitative and quantitative research: whereas quantitative research draws on mathematical tools associated with statistics and probability theory, qualitative research is often based on set theory and logic. The chapter first compares the natural language of logic in the qualitative culture with the language of probability and statistics in the quantitative culture. It then considers the necessary conditions and sufficient conditions as basis for qualitative methods, focusing on set theory and Venn diagrams, two-by-two tables, and truth tables. It also discusses the use of qualitative and quantitative aggregation techniques and concludes by explaining the criteria for assessing the “fit” of the model or the “importance” of a given causal factor.

ETHNOMETHODOLOGY.Alain Coulon. Translated from French by Jacqueline Coulon and Jack Katz. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1995. Pp. 82. $9.50 paper, $21.50 cloth.

1997 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 412-413
Author(s):  
Michal Zellermayer
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Social Discourse ◽  
Motivation To Learn ◽  
Alternative Possibility ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Acquisition Process ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Qualitative Research Methodology

Ethnomethodology is a qualitative research methodology developed as an alternative possibility for social scientists investigating the different ways in which reality is socially constructed. For theorists and researchers of language acquisition and language use in educational settings, ethnomethodology makes it possible to examine social discourse and participation structures in and out of school that are tied to success or failure in language learning. As Gumperz explains, with the help of ethnomethodology we study how knowledge is acquired, what role differences in home and ethnic background play in the acquisition process, and how the acquisition process interacts with evaluational progress and the child's motivation to learn.

Methodology versus scholarship?

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clive Seale
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Text Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Automated Text Analysis ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Traditional Scholarship

Distinctions between traditional scholarship and methodologically informed procedures can support unhelpful stereotypes which parallel that between qualitative and quantitative research. These can have a negative effect on the practice of social research in general, and textual analysis in particular. Drawing on a study of morally charged narratives of collective and personal identity in newspaper texts reporting cancer experiences, where gender politics are negotiated, I show how this distinction can be overcome in research practice. Quantitative analysis is shown to be useful in exploring text and generating insights, as well as strengthening generalisations from qualitative anecdotes. Automated text analysis using NVIVO and Concordance software can produce new “readings” otherwise hidden from view that can be followed up in close qualitative analysis. Thus traditional views of qualitative research as exploratory and quantitative as confirmatory can be overturned. Analysts of discourse can use automation and counting without compromising their capacity to think creatively about meaning.

Understanding rural Zambia today: the relevance of the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute

Africa ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Kees van Donge
Keyword(s):  
Social Research ◽  
History Of Ideas ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Historical Knowledge ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Opening Paragraph ◽  
Historical Moment ◽  
Rural Zambia

Opening ParagraphIn the colonial period Zambia, then Northern Rhodesia, was a field for brilliant social research. The social scientists who worked at the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute (hereafter abbreviated to RLI) in Lusaka produced studies which can be found in libraries throughout the world. Yet the relevance of this literature for understanding present-day Zambia may not be immediately obvious. Our knowledge of society turns into historical knowledge, especially when great social changes such as decolonization take place. Social scientists inevitably capture one particular historical moment. The work of those connected with the RLI can therefore be treated as part of history; Kuper (1973) has characterised its role in the development of British anthropological thought as a part of the history of ideas, and Brown (1973, 1979) has written evocative accounts of the involvement of its members in the country as an example of the white man's presence in Africa.

Ascertaining the Role of Leadership on Employee Satisfaction in Market and Social Research Industries in Gauteng Province of South Africa Using Qualitative Research

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kingstone Mutsonziwa ◽  
Philip Serumaga-Zake
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Labour Productivity ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Career Growth ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Mixed Approach

This paper is based on the study a Doctor of Business Leadership (DBL) thesis titled A Statistical Model for Employee Satisfaction in the Market and Social Research Industries in Gauteng Province. The purpose of this study was to identify the attributes that affect employee satisfaction in the Market and Social Research Industries in Gauteng Province, South Africa. In order to address the overall objective of this study, the researcher used a two-tiered (mixed) approach in which both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used to complement and enrich the results. This paper is only based on the qualitative component of the study on leadership aspects based on six leaders (two from Social research and four from Market research) that were interviewed. The leaders were selected based on their knowledge of the industry and the expertise they have. Participation in the survey was voluntary. This paper illustrates the power of the qualitative techniques to uncover or unmask the leadership aspects in the Market and Social Research Industries and also gives the human touch to the quantitative results. It was found that leadership and management within the Market and Social Research Industries in Gauteng Province must ensure that they are accommodative in terms of mentoring their subordinates. The industry is driven by quality driven processes and strong leadership. More importantly, issues of a good working environment, remuneration, career growth, and recognition must always be addressed in order to increase employee satisfaction, reduce staff turnover, and attempt to optimize labour productivity. The qualitative findings also help a deeper understanding of leadership within the industry.

Historical Overview of Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-58
Author(s):  
Svend Brinkmann ◽  
Michael Hviid Jacobsen ◽  
Søren Kristiansen
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Social History ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Conceptual History ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Technological History

Qualitative research does not represent a monolithic, agreed-on approach to research but is a vibrant and contested field with many contradictions and different perspectives. To respect the multivoicedness of qualitative research, this chapter will approach its history in the plural—as a variety of histories. The chapter will work polyvocally and focus on six histories of qualitative research, which are sometimes overlapping, sometimes in conflict, and sometimes even incommensurable. They can be considered articulations of different discourses about the history of the field, which compete for researchers’ attention. The six histories are: (a) the conceptual history of qualitative research, (b) the internal history of qualitative research, (c) the marginalizing history of qualitative research, (d) the repressed history of qualitative research, (e) the social history of qualitative research, and (f) the technological history of qualitative research.

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