Sammy Toyoki Assistant Professor Ph.D. Consumer Research Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing ”Basics of Qualitative Research and Philosophy of Science” Sammy Toyoki Assistant Professor Ph.D. Consumer Research

Today’s agenda What is qualitative research? Brief overview of the basic concepts of philosophy of science Paradigm Ontology Epistemology Axiology Methodology Two qualitative research paradigms (interpretive & cultural approach)

What is Qualitative Research?

Qualitative research is about...

Qualitative research is about...

Qualitative research is about...

Qualitative research is about...

Qualitative research is about...

Being incarcarated...

What does “qualitative” mean? “The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are not experimentally examined or measured (if measured at all) in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or frequency” (Norman Denzin & Yvonna Lincoln (2003) ’Introduction’ in Denzin, N. K. & Y.S. The Landscape of Qualitative Research. London: Sage, 1-45.) Prison research example = What are prisoners’ experiences like and how do these experiences manifest in behavior, practices, talk, meanings etc...

What does ”research” mean? Research is a systematized effort to gain new knowledge Research is an endeavor to discover answers to intellectual and practical problems through the application of scientific method Scientific method = systematic collection of data and their theoretical treatment through proper analysis and interpretation Relies on empirical evidence Utilizes proper theoretical concepts Prison research example = I collected empirical evidence through informal, open-ended interviewing that was nevertheless based on an systemic conceptual structure (‘interest domain interviewing’)

What does ”method” mean? In a strict sense, method refers to the ways of collecting and analyzing data Different ”tools” in your toolbox (interviews, observations  thematic analysis, discourse analysis) In this course we also deal with methodology The rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie the research and guide the choice of research questions and the methods that are used for data collection and analysis Prison research example = method ‘interviewing’ / methodology ‘discourse analysis’ /this choice led to certain considerations in interview design

Methodology Philosophical assumptions underlying method: What is the nature of reality (ontology)? Quantitative research (especially in natural sciences) is based on positivist ontology  there is “the reality”; it is unchanging and the same for everyone Qualitative research is generally based on a constructionist ontology  there are many realities, they are contextual and (socially) constructed How can we know the world (epistemology)? Quantitative research relies on a single way of knowing the world  ‘realism’  there is a unified external world and this may be observed from a single, privileged point of view Because qualitative research assumes that reality is socially constructed, it also assumes that there numerous points of view (knowledge is relative) I researched how prisoners constructed their shared reality through (a) discursive story-telling (constructivism), and (b) practices (constructionism)

So.. What is qualitative research? “Qualitative Research…involves finding out what people think, how they do things, and how they feel - or at any rate, what they say they think, do or feel. This kind of information is subjective. It involves impressions, feelings and actions, rather than numbers” Bellenger, Bernhardt and Goldstucker, Qualitative Research in Marketing, American Marketing Association Prison research example = While there is a relatively cohesive culture in prison – each prisoner tells slightly different stories of this culture – through their own particular situations, perspectives and associated experiences

Qualitative research is situated... Qualitative research examines phenomena and people and their thoughts in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret them: Prison research example = It was critical for me to go to Helsinki Prison and talk to prisoners about their lives and experiences… In other words - I could not have done this work properly by interviewing people who are experts in prison life but have never been prisoners themselves (say, prison guards, psychologists or criminologists)

However, this situatedness can be examined in multiple ways... Note, however, that “qualitative research” is a very broad umbrella term There are a number of research traditions that are interested in different phenomena while also focusing on different levels of analysis and different set of philosophical assumptions Prison research example = I could have chosen to do the prison research from a variety of perspectives – but I chose discourse analysis because it suited the research context best – shedding light on power relations and struggles that took place in inmates’ talk about their experiences

Qualitative research produces contextual knowledge... What all qualitative approaches share: Interest in forming in-depth understandings of human behavior and /or thought Because reality is seen (to some extent) as socially constructed, all information and knowledge are subsequently seen as contextual No attempts to form universal theories (that apply to all) Prison research example = If I had also researched Turku Prison, I would have produced similar findings due to the shared Finnish institutional context – but also differences due to the different local contexts and people therein… In turn - if I had researched a prison abroad, the differences would naturally be more substantial….

‘Qualitative’ and ‘Quantitative’ Quantitative: simplifying the complex Qualitative: complicating the simple What ‘complicating the simple’ essentially means is that our task as qualitative researchers is to examine the ‘taken-for-granted’ and break it down in a way that produces new insight into the phenomenon under study Prison research example = In this context, ‘complicating the simple’ would mean producing a study that sheds new (and challenging) light on common assumptions about prison life

Why is qualitative research needed? Quantitative research may not be “enough” Often simplifies and ”compresses” complex reality: abstract and constrained perspective Only applicable for measurable (quantifiable) phenomena Presumes relatively extensive knowledge on the subject matter in order to be able to ask ”correct” questions

Why is qualitative research needed? 2. There are many new phenomena and phenomena that is under change There’s little existing information  we don’t even know what to measure Existing concepts and measures are dated, new conceptualizations may be needed 3. Phenomena may be interesting not because we don’t know how often they occur in a certain populations, but because we don’t know how they are constructed

Philosophy of science – basic concepts

What is philosophy of science? Philosophy = “Rationally critical thinking, of a more or less systematic kind about the general nature of the world (metaphysics or theory of existence), the justification of belief (epistemology or theory of knowledge), and the conduct of life (ethics or theory of value)” (Quinton 1995, 666) Philosophy of science is systematic critical evaluation of the nature of science is (i.e. what is science) and what science should be

What is paradigm? A paradigm refers to the philosophical assumptions on which research is based on It is a set of linked assumptions about the world which is shared by a community of scientist that provides a framework for the organized study of the world (Deshpande) A worldview (Guba and Lincoln)

Paradigm – elements Paradigms consists of four basic elements Ontology Epistemology Axiology Methodology

Paradigm – elements Axiology Ontology What is the nature of our reality? What is the nature of social beings? Epistemology What is the nature of knowledge? How do we see reality to manifest? What is the relationship between the knower and what can be known? Axiology What is the overriding goal of research (e.g. to ‘predict’ or to ‘understand’)? Methodology How can we go about finding out about the things that are there to be known?

Paradigm – elements Ontology, epistemology, and methodology forms a “total package” They are usually interdependent – when you “pick one”, you get the others related to that “set” too You will always have one, regardless of whether you are explicit about it or not  when you read articles, try to figure out from which kind of paradigm the author is coming from NOTE: Methods are tools, not philosophies Both qualitative and quantitative methods can be used within different philosophical perspectives

What is all this really based on? Rene Decartes: “I think therefore I am” Subject – Object divide The knower – the known (epistemology) (ontology) How you look at things - The things you are looking at In ‘positivism’ this divide is uncontested and very much the norm In qualitative research – this divide tends to fuse into one

Two extreme paradigms in social reseach

Philosophical assumptions underlying the two extreme ends of social research (Hudson and Ozanne 1991)

For next session Readings Eriksson, Päivi & Kovalainen, Anne (2008) Qualitative methods in business research: Part II See ‘Course Syllabus’ for supplementary readings Next assignment: (see next slide)

For next session Assignment 1 – Analysing Research Philosophy (max. grade ‘10’ points) Select two scientific articles and analyse their paradigmatic assumptions. If these are not explicitly stated in the articles, read through them and discern them yourself. At a minimum, describe the following: Ontology Epistemology Axiology Methodology To aid you in this assignment, refer to Lecture Two and its readings This report should be between 2-3 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12pt, 1,5 spacing) Submit via MyCourses by Tue 17.01 16.15