1. Philosophies of Qualitative Research Research Methods Unit November 2007 Dr Carol Taylor CPD and Postgraduate Division School of Health, Psychology and Social Care Manchester Metropolitan University

2. What do we mean by ‘philosophy’?

3. Paradigms Dark ages Enlightenment (18 th C)– Positivism Post positivism 1940s Constructivism Modernism Post-modernism Feminism Interpretivist

4. Research Paradigms

5. Positivism Experimental RCTs, Surveys questionnaires Establishing facts / truth Hypothesis testing Quantitative Deductive Interpretivism Ethnography Phenomenology Symbolic interactionism Understanding meaning Hypothesis generating Qualitative Inductive

6. Ethnography Definition: The scientific description of races and peoples with their customs, habits and mutual differences. (The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary) In qualitative research it is now used to mean, the study of human behaviour in its natural setting.

7. Ethnography: Principal methods of data collection Participant observation + interviews and conversations / ‘going native’ Compare with surveys – it generates a different epistemological focus, a different type of knowing.

8. Phenomenology Definition: The science and study of phenomena. Complex and often misunderstood Undergone considerable change over the years

9. Phenomenology Husserl (1859-1938)- Essence of the phenomenon was important rather than the experience of it. Heidegger (1889-1976 ) - added meaning and interpretation (hermeneutics) Gadamer (1900–2002) - added context (hermeneutic circle) and even the researcher’s perspective

10. Phenomenological study into ‘stroke’ Husserl: What is ‘stroke’? (as perceived by the stroke victim only) Heidegger : What is the stroke victim’s interpretation of ‘stroke’? Gadamer: What is it like to be a stroke victim?

11. Total description of the phenomenon… The phenomenon = ‘stroke’ The lived experience = What is it like to be a ‘stroke’ victim? Phenomenology is neither inductive nor deductive. It neither generates theory nor tests theory E.g. Field (1981) Giving an injection

12. Symbolic Interactionism Definition: The way humans act towards things is based on the meaning those things have for them. Those meanings emerge from social interaction and are modified and dealt with through an interactive process. It is a lens or framework for understanding behaviour

13. Symbolic Interactionism Mead (1863 – 1931) Blumer (1900 – 1987) Glaser (b 1930) and Strauss (1916 – 1996)

14. Arrivals and Departures: Patterns of attachment at arrival gates

15. Homelessness What it means to live as a homeless person StrategyQuestionType of results Ethnography What is it like living as a homeless person? Day to day description of life for homeless people Phenomenology HomelessnessIn depth experience of what it is like to be homeless. Symbolic Interactionism Being homelessWhat is going on in the experience of being homeless. An understanding of homelessness.

16. Approaching research questions What do I want to know? Research question Research Method Philosophy What is my world view? What is the best way to find out?

17. Approaching research questions What do I want to know? What is the best way to find out? Research question Research Method Philosophy How do we know that this will address the question?

18. Data collection or generation?

19. Generate Quality Data Ask relevant questions Explore concepts and ideas Consider the context of the data Clarify meaning, establish common meaning Make field notes

20. Qualitative data… Observation – social groups, behaviour, interaction Conversation – naturally occurring talk Narrative Interview Documents – diaries, letters, reports Pictures / paintings Body language

21. Is this science? Positivism Results structured round numerical measurement, statistical analysis. Checked by reliability and validity. Interpretivism Find regularities in phenomena, consistencies, patterns of observed events. Checked by rigour