Frameworks in Field Research

Frameworks in Field Research

1. 1. Grounded theory

   • Inductive approach (bottom up)
   • attempts to derive theory from analysis of patterns, themes & common categories observed in observational data
     • differs from hypothesis testing (in which theory used to generate hypothesis to be tested)
     • grounded theory (inductive): focus on generating theoretical ideas (explanations/understandings) of the data FROM the data
       • should start w/ NO preconceptions
       • begins w/ data collection
       • end product = theory; explanations or understanding
     • Not actually a research method but way of discovering things so theory generated grounded
   • CODING

2. 2. Extended case method

   • research technique developed by Michael Burawoy that uses case study observations to discover flaws in and to improve existing social theories
     • Opposite to the grounded theory approach
       • Extended case researchers want to know all the literature before entering the field
       • Extended case researchers also start with a preconceived theory in mind
     • Different from case studies, because extended case method is testing social theory
     • Goal of looking for all the ways observations conflict with existing theories
       • "theoretical gaps & silences"
   • 2 steps
     • Step 1 – researcher becomes familiarized with existing literature
       • enter field w/ clear expectation for findings
     • Step 2 – researcher notes how observations conflict or agree with existing theory
       • do they support or reject what was already said?

3. 3. Institutional ethnography

   • research technique that uses the personal experiences of individuals (especially women and other members of marginalized groups) to uncover the institutional power relations that structure and govern their experiences
     • Originally developed by Dorothy Smith to conduct research from the “standpoint of women” and how their experiences are shaped by institutional practices
   • Although the individuals’ experiences are essential to the research approach, the individuals themselves are not the focus of the inquiry
     • Researcher starts with the personal experiences of the marginalized, but then proceeds to uncover and understand the institutional power relations that structure and govern those experiences – the social organization of ruling relations
     • Goal is to uncover forms of oppression that are often overlooked by more traditional types of research

4. 4. Participatory Action Research

   • approach to social research where the researcher serves as a resource to those being studied, with the goal of increasing their ability to act effectively in their own interest
   • Counter to the conventional status and power differences between researcher and subjects
     • Those under study are given control to define their problems, define the remedies they desire, and take the lead in designing the research that will help them realize their aims
   • Critiques the distinction between researcher and subject/participant
   • Challenges the usefulness of classical objectivity
     • Traditional research is seen as an ‘elitist model’
   • Major goal – produce results that are beneficial to the participants of the research
     • Focus is usually directed at the local (community) level