Rural Sociology 597C
Qualitative Research Methods
Location:
Time:
Instructor:
Office hrs:
Course home page:
110 Thomas
3:35 – 6:00 Wednesdays
Bill Grigsby
Asst. Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology
7B Armsby
wjg10@psu.edu
865-5665
Mondays, 10-1, or by appointment
http://www.courses.psu.edu/r_soc/r_soc597c_wjg10/index.htm
Course objectives
This course will provide an introduction to qualitative research methods. Students
will become more familiar with the processes of qualitative research, different
qualitative traditions, and will gain practice in the use of techniques in the conduct
of their own class research projects.
Course format
The course will combine discussion of readings, discussion of students’ research
projects and online threads of relevance through CourseTalk. We will also view a
couple of videos over the course of the semester.
Required text
Strauss, A., J. Corbin. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA:
Sage.
You’ll also be asked to download N4 (software for qualitative data analysis)
Grading procedure
Item
Participation
In class
Readings preparation (2)
Online discussion threads
Photo interpretation project
Peer review of research project
Research project
Totals
Percent points
35%
175
15
10
10
5%
25
10%
50
50%
250
100%
500
Grades will be given on a
straight percentage (90-99% A;
80-89% B; 70-79% C, etc.)
RSOC 597C / 1
Fall 2001
Assignments
Assignment
Sign up twice to lead discussion
Photo project--prepare poster board
Photo project--interpretation
Take human subjects exam
Develop two draft project ideas
Develop two-page research proposal
Prepare human subjects submission
Discussion of student reviews of proposals
Download N4
Should have begun data collection (& analysis)
Should have begun write-up of project
Peer review of research project
Final research project
Class participation
Date due
Aug 29 (wk 2)
Aug 29 (wk 2)
Sept 5 (wk 3)
Sept 5 (wk 3)
Sept 5 (wk 3)
Sept 12 (wk 4)
Sept 12 (wk 4)
Sept 19 (wk 5)
Sept 26 (wk 6)
Oct 3 (wk 7)
Oct 31 (wk 11)
Nov 14 (wk 13)
Dec 7
Total points
Points
25
50
250
175
500
Readings
Wk 1
Aug 22
Introduction to course
Wk 2
Aug 29
Background
Weber, M. 1978. Economy and Society. (On the concept of sociology, Pp 4-22, Vol. I);
Berger, P., and T. Luckmann. 1967. The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the
Sociology of Knowledge. (‘The Foundations of Knowledge in Everyday Life,’ Pp 19-46);
Schutz, A. 1970. Interpretative sociology. Pp 265-93 in H. Wagner (ed) On Phenomenology and
Social Relations: Selected Writings. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hammersley, M. 1999. Deconstructing the qualitative-quantitative divide. In J. Brannen (ed)
Mixing Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Research. Aldershot: Avebury, 1992) Also Pp 7083 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research (vol. I). London: Sage Publications.
Mills, C.W. 1940. Situated actions and vocabularies of motive. American Sociological Review
(December):904-13.
Wk 3
Sept 5
Research design
Marshall, C. and G. Rossman. 1989. Designing Qualitative Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage
Publications (Chapter 3, How to conduct the study: Designing the research, pp 45-120);
Strauss, A. and J. Corbin. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (chapter
4, ‘practical considerations,’ pp 35-53)
Study:
Stull, D. 2000. Tobacco barns and chicken houses: Agricultural transformation in Western
Kentucky. Human Organization 59(2):151-61.
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Wk 4
Sept 12
Entering the field
Burgess, R. 1991. Sponsors, gatekeepers, members, and friends: Access in educational settings. Pp
43-52 in W Shaffir and R. Stebbins (eds) Experiencing Fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage
Publications.
Anderson, M. 1999. Studying across difference: Race, class and gender in qualitative research. Pp
127-38 n A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications, Vol.
IV.
Van Maanen, J. 1991. Playing back the tape: Early days in the field. Pp 31-42 in W Shaffir and R.
Stebbins (eds) Experiencing Fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Shaffir, W. 1991. Managing a convincing self-presentation: Some personal reflections on entering
the field. Pp 72-81 in W Shaffir and R. Stebbins (eds) Experiencing Fieldwork. Newbury Park,
CA: Sage Publications
Wilson, W. 1974. The new black sociology: Reflections on the ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’
controversy. Pp 322-37 in (J. Blackwell and M. Janowitz (eds) Black Sociologists—Historical
and Contemporary Perspectives. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Oakley, A. 1999. Interviewing women: A contradiction in terms. Pp 44-66 in A. Bryman and R.
Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications, Vol. IV
Neff Gurney, J. 1991. Female researchers in male-dominated settings. Pp 53-61 in W Shaffir and
R. Stebbins (eds) Experiencing Fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Studies:
Whyte, W.F. 1952. The social structure of the restaurant. American Journal of Sociology
57(March):302-310;
Orwell, G. 1963. The pecking order of a restaurant. In Coser (ed) Sociology through Literature.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Wk 5
Sept 19
Ethics
Punch, M. 1989. The Politics and Ethics of Fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. (pp 29-48; 70-84)
Kelly, A. 1999. Action research: What is it and what can it do? Pp 201-19 in A. Bryman and R.
Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications, Vol. IV
Taylor, S. 1991. Leaving the field: Research, relationships, and responsibilities. Pp 238-47 in W
Shaffir and R. Stebbins (eds) Experiencing Fieldwork. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Song, M and D. Parker. 1995. Commonality, difference and the dynamics of disclosure in in-depth
interviewing. Sociology 29:241-56. (p112 in Bryman and Burgess, Vol. IV)
Study:
Becker, H. 1953. Becoming a marihuana user. American Sociological Review 59(3):235-42.
Also: Read each student’s research proposal, be prepared to discuss, offer comments in class.
Wk 6
Sept 26
Data collection
Gans, H. 1968. The participant-observer as a human being: Observations on the personal aspects of
field work. In H. Becker (ed) Institutions and the Person: Papers Presented to Everett C. Hughes.
Chicago: Aldine. (Pp 39-54 in Bryman and Burgess, II)
Holstein, J., and J. Gubrium. 1997. Active interviewing. In D. Silverman (ed) Qualitative Research:
Theory, Method and Practice. London: Sage. (In Bryman and Burgess, 105-21, Vol. II)
Gorden, R. 1987. Interviewing: Strategy, Technique and Tactics. Chicago: Dorsey Press. (chapter
3, pp 63-81, ‘the Social Context of the Interview’).
Kitzinger, J. 1999. The methodology of focus groups: The importance of interaction between
research participants. Sociology of Health and Illness 16(1):103-21. (Pp 138 in Bryman and
Burgess, Vol. II)
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., and L. Shaw. 1995. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press (Chapter 2—‘in the field’)
Study:
Rosenhan, D.L. 1978. On being sane in insane places. Science 179(4070):250-59.
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Wk 7
Oct 3
Data collection
Gilchrist, V. 1999. Key informant interviews. Pp. 354-71 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds)
Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications (vol. I).
Strauss, A. and J. Corbin. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (chapter
6, ‘basic operations’);
Altheide, D. Qualitative media analysis. Pp 235-55 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds) Qualitative
Research. London: Sage Publications, Vol. II.
Poland, B. 1995. Transcription quality as an aspect of rigor in qualitative research. Qualitative
Inquiry 1(3):290-310. (1995—in Burgess and Bryman, Vol. III);
Drucker, D. 1986. Ask a silly question, get a silly answer—Community participation and the
demystification of health care. Pp 161-71 in D. Korten (ed) Community Management: Asian
Experience and Perspectives. West Hartford, Connecticut: Kumarian Press.
Study:
Grey, M. 2000. ‘Those bastards can go to hell!’ Small-farmer resistance to vertical integration and
concentration in the pork industry. Human Organization 59(2):169-76.
Wk 8
Oct 10
Data analysis
Robinson, W.S. 1951. The logical structure of analytic induction. American Sociological Review
16:812-18. (116-24 in Bryman and Burgess, Vol. III);
Buston, K. NUD*IST in Action: Its use and its usefulness in a study of chronic illness in young
people. Pp 183-202 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage
Publications. (online at http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/3/6.html);
Bloor, M. 1978. On the analysis of observational data: A discussion of the worth and uses of
inductive techniques and respondent validation. Sociology 12:545-52. (p. 444 in Bryman and
Burgess, Vol. III);
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., and L. Shaw. 1995. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press (Chapter 5, ‘Pursuing members’ meanings,’ pp 108-41, chp 6, ‘coding and
memoing,’ pp 142-68)
Wk 9
Oct 17
Data analysis, grounded theory
Strauss, A. and J. Corbin. 1999. Grounded theory methodology: An overview. In N. Denzin and Y.
Lincoln (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (also p. 72 Vol. III);
Strauss, A. and J. Corbin. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
(chapters 5, ‘analysis through microscopic examination of data,’ pp. 57-71; chp 7, ‘analytic
tools,’ pp. 87-99; chp 8, ‘open coding,’ 101-21; chp 11, ‘coding for process,’ pp 163-79; chp 13,
‘theoretical sampling,’ pp 201-14)
Wk 10
Oct 24
Ethnography
Harris, M. 1979. Cultural Materialism. New York: Vintage Books. (pp 32-41, ‘emics and etics’)
Agar, M. 1990. Speaking of Ethnography. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications (pp 11-48).
Study:
Geertz, C. 1973. The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books (Deep play: Notes on the
Balinese cockfight, Pp 412-53).
Wk 11
Oct 31
Case study
Platt, J. 1992. Cases of cases . . . of cases. Pp 21-52 in C. Ragin and H. Becker (eds) What is a
Case? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Eisenhardt, K. 1999. Building theories from case study research. Pp 135-59 in A. Bryman and R.
Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research (vol. I). London: Sage Publications.
Lieberson, S. 1992. Small N’s and big conclusions: An examination of the reasoning in
comparative studies based on a small number of cases. Pp 105-18 in C. Ragin and H. Becker
(eds) What is a Case? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Harper, D. 1992. Small N’s and community case studies. Pp 139-58 in C. Ragin and H. Becker
(eds) What is a Case? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Wk 12
Nov 7
Applied research
Patton, M.Q. 1999. The nature of qualitative inquiry. Pp 139-59 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds)
Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications (vol. IV)
Knapp, M. 1985. Ethnographic contributions to evaluation research: The experimental schools
program evaluation and some alternatives. Pp 160-80 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds)
Qualitative Research (vol. IV). London: Sage Publications.
Finch, J. 1999. Developing policy-oriented qualitative research. Pp 181-88 in A. Bryman and R.
Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications (vol. IV).
Study:
Hunter, A. 1993. Local knowledge and local power. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.
22(1):36-58.
Wk 13
Nov 14
Evaluating qualitative research
Kirk, J., M. Miller. 1986. Reliability and validity in qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage
Publications. (pp. 21-59).
Strauss, A. and J. Corbin. 1998. Basics of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
(Chapter 16, Criteria for evaluation, pp. 265-74).
Lincoln, Y., E. Guba. 1999. Establishing trustworthiness. Pp 397-444 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess
(eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications (vol. III).
Wk 14
Nov 21
Thanksgiving break
‘free time’ to work on research projects, get ahead on readings
Wk 15
Nov 28
Presentation
Turner, V. 1968. Schism and Continuity in an African Society: A Study of Ndembu Village Life.
Manchester University Press. (‘The analysis of social drama’)
Geertz, C. 1973. The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books (Thick Description:
Toward an interpretive theory of culture, Pp 3-30.).
Golden-Biddle, K., K. Locke. 1999. Appealing work: An investigation of how ethnographic texts
convince. Pp. 367-96 in A. Bryman and R. Burgess (eds) Qualitative Research. London: Sage
Publications (vol. III).
Emerson, R., Fretz, R., and L. Shaw. 1995. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press (Chapter 7, ‘Writing an ethnography,’ pp. 169-210).
Wk 16
Dec 5
Decompression, discussion, closure
Be prepared to come to class and discuss your research, impressions, any unaddressed or lingering
issues, etc.
Assignments
Leading discussion (part of class participation grade): Two times during the
semester, I’d like each of you to lead discussion of the readings. Part of this is just
to give you practice at facilitating discussion, part to watch how you summarize,
synthesize and abstract from the readings.
Photo project: This is a sort of ‘presentation of self’ exercise. You can purchase a
disposable camera, use your own, etc. Choose 12-15 pictures that present to
observers what you would like them to know about you. I’ll try to come up with
some poster board and adhesive, and you can get as artistic as you want in
displaying the photos. Students will have the week to spend some time looking at
others’ photos, treating them as data, trying to interpret them and what they say
about the subject. It would be a good idea for each person to put some sort of
description or rationale for each photo he/she takes (just a memory jog). There is no
written assignment—we will discuss interpretation of the photos in class on Sept 5.
RSOC 597C / 5
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Take human subjects exam (Sept 5): Each of you will need to prepare a submission
for human subjects review for your research. You’ll need to take the ‘Training on
the protection of human subjects’ Web-based tutorial
(http://www.research.psu.edu/orc/human/training/welcome.html) before you can
submit. The submission will be made as a class, and the level of review required
will likely depend on the subject matter of the proposals.
Develop two draft project ideas (Sept 5): One of these will end up being your
research project. They don’t have to be long or elaborate, but the more detail and
thought you devote to them, the more you’ll benefit from class discussion and the
subsequent development of a proposal.
Develop two-page research proposal (Sept 12): You need to address the basic
areas—design, some description of the research field, theoretical orientation (if
relevant), a brief discussion of how you will gain entry into the research field, data
collection methods, brief description of analyses proposed, sampling strategy, the
direction you would like to take the research (e.g., part of dissertation, separate
publication, get a grade, etc.). On Sept 19 we’ll discuss these in class (you should
read each proposal and be prepared to provide comments, suggestions, etc.).
Prepare human subjects submission (Sept 12): In order to begin data collection,
we’ll need to try to have these submitted as soon as possible to the Penn State
Institutional Review Board . . .
Peer review of research proposal (Sept 19): You’ll be asked to review another
student’s research proposal, and offer written comments (no more than one page).
Download N4 (Sept 26 or sooner): N4 is a version of a popular qualitative data
analysis software, originally referred to as NUD*IST (stands for ‘Non-numerical
Unstructured Data Indexing Searching & Theorizing’). This is available from
QSR’s Website, http://www.qsr.com.au/home/home.asp, also worth checking out in
more detail.
Peer review of research project (Nov 14): Toward the end of the semester, you’ll
be asked to review another student’s research project and progress. Thus, if you
haven’t begun writing by this point, you will need to produce a document
describing what you’ve done, how you’ve looked at the data, etc., for another
person in the class to review.
Final research project (Dec 7): No more than 20 pages, double-spaced, please.
You have some latitude in how you present your findings, and you will have been
exposed to many studies and writing styles. Remember, that to some extent the way
you organize the write-up should flow from your data, interpretations, and
supporting rationale.
RSOC 597C / 6
Fall 2001