Soc 3960

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Soc 3960

• Introduction

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I. Purpose of course

• The course outline. and introductions.
• Field trips,

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II. 4 aspectsto qualitative research methods.

• 1) ways of seeing what is important What is
  reality?
• 2) ways of seeing attention to density,
• 3) ways of investigation
• 4) ways of knowing

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1. What is reality?

• (from pragmatists) rejecting rationalist view of
  reality as static,
• task of discovery of meaning of situations
• analytic induction infer the whole from a lot of
  different parts

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• A real example from social service in Hong Kong
  Assessing peoples needs? What is meaning of
  being overburdened?
• Approach answer by conventional survey vs
  Qualitative approach differences?
• Key terms Social constructionism meaning?
• Emphasis on process, on agency, free will within
  constraints

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• The sociology of everyday life
• Whose meaning?

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2. ways of seeing

• paying attention to Dense description, dont
  gloss, dont impute motives
• The importance of significant symbols,
• meaning comes through interaction.

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3. How we do, it ways of investigation

• Textual analysis
• computer aided qualitative research
• Ways of investigation (range of methods or tools
• Previously recorded materials
• Procedures you collect yourself

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• Observation, naturalist vs participant
• Indirect measures
• Auto-Biography
• combining methods
• trends

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Particular methods in class

• Life History (we do it)
• Network Analysis (we do it)
• Study of body language and space (we do it)
• Others

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4. Causation, discovery

• 1. What is proof?
• 2. looking for themes
• for causal sequences
• 3. Typologies
• 4. Constant Comparative Method