1. Research Methods Chapter 9 Qualitative Methods

2. A Few Comments Influenced by anthropologists who did field work Generally uses the following methods: –In-depth interviews –Participant Observation –Focus Groups –Content Analysis

3. When Is It Useful? When we wish to do descriptive research –May not know much about the population we want to study When we wish to do exploratory research –We want to know how people interpret their world What’s it like to be an employee in the Evangelical Christian Industry?

4. Participant Observation Observing people in their natural setting Several options: –complete observer Try to see things as they happen without disrupting the participants Must be careful of reactive effects –participant and observer Subjects know that you are a researcher even though you participate –covert participant Subjects don’t know that you are a researcher –Laud Humphreys, Richard Mitchell

5. Other Considerations of Participant Observation Entering the field Developing and maintaining relationships –Want to be close but not too close Sampling people and events –Typically want to sample from different settings –Typically use non-random sampling (purposive, snowball, quota, etc.) Taking notes –Must be complete and as detailed as possible –Context (surroundings) should be recorded –Should be more than descriptive, you should also record your feelings/analysis

6. Steps In The Process Gain access to the field Take good field notes Type up field notes and add more analysis/comments within 24 hours Draw up a memo of important concepts/questions/things to do next time you go out in the field Draw up a list of questions developed from your fieldnotes

7. Intensive Interviewing Relies on open-ended questions –Goal is to develop a full view of an individual’s background, attitudes, and actions –Becomes more like a conversation When to stop conducting interviews? –When you reach saturation

8. Asking Questions & Recording Answers Start with general questions and slowly work your way to more detailed info –Must often ask follow up questions (e.g. “could you tell me more about that?”) Recording answers: –Take written notes –Audio recordings

9. Analysis of Qualitative Data The goal of many is to create grounded theory –inductively building a theory built from the “ground up” and is based on the observations made Others simply wish to describe what is going on and provide an analysis of a specific situation

10. A Concrete Example Decided on a topic: –Christian retailing and entertainment industry Learned about the industry through reading/talking with others Developed a research question: –What problems emerge when art, commerce, and Christian faith interact and what tactics do industry members use to alleviate these problems? Developed a sampling frame –Needed to interview members in at least four categories:

11. The Evangelical Culture Industry Stages of Creation & Production CreatorsProducersDistributors Consumers Misc.

12. –Started with convenience and purposive sample, then snowball sample Conducted interviews (tape recorded) Transcribed interviews Looked for major themes:

13. Major Themes Commerce Vs. Ministry Evangelical Vs. Non-Evangelical Companies Targeting Christians Vs. Targeting Non- Christians Art Vs. Ministry (a.k.a Formula Vs. Innovation)

14. Coded the data by looking for subthemes

15. Coding Tension #1: Commerce Vs. Ministry –Strategies Proactive –Take on poor paying projects (mission projects) –Offset poor paying projects with good paying ones –Turn down projects that could be lucrative –Give stuff away for free Passive –Focus on God –Diffusion of responsibility –Justification (good business is a ministry)

16. Formulate theories Write up the data