Notes from "Learning In the Field" by Rossman & Rallis

Chapters 4 and 5

Unit of Analysis
Particular locus of control
Identify it in your study
Broad Genres in Literature
Rossman and Rallis discuss three
Ethnography
Phenomenology
Socio-communication
Ethnography
Social groups
Focus on Culture
Participant observation
Reminder of emic and etic views
Critical ethnographies take a radical perspective looking at issues of power and oppression in the social setting
Reproduction
Resistance
Marriage ]
Mores of reproduction
Mores of society
Phenomenology
Lived Experiences
Extensive and prolonged exgagement through a series of indepth intensive iterative interviews
Urpose of interviews
History, orientation reflective dialog
Socio-communication studies
How people communicate verbally and non-verbally
Words and action, use, communicative mean
Words, gestures, signs
Sociolinguistic research: microanalysis of naturally occurring speech events and interactions within their context
Semioticists: study conformity to and deviance from the intended meaning of signs.

Interpretivist assumptions

Knowledge is subjective
Researcher should engage directly with subjects
Society is orderly
This is traditional qualitative research
Knowledge has some order to it



Postmodernist Assumptions
Society is essentially conflictual and oppressive
Research involves issues of power
Research is authored by raced, gendered, classed, and politically-oriented individuals
Race class and gender are crucial to understanding the overall lived experience.
Traditional qualitative research has silenced the voice of the oppressed
Have to be reflexive because they have such strong feelings
Reflexivity is crucial.

Case Study
Overall Strategy
In-depth and detailed exploration of a single example that are instance drawn from a class of a similar phenomena
Descriptive holistic heuristic and inductive
Complex and multilayered
Particular focus using a variety of techniques
Context dependent
Reason things out by analogy

Practical considerations
Doable
Can we do the study…time, resources knowledge and skills
Want to do ability
Interest in the topic
Should-do-ability
Potential contribution to the person, the setting, the participants, society

Conceptual Framework
Your theory of the world you are studying
What do you want to learn
Experience in practice
What is already known
Previous research
Theoretical base
What questions remain unanswered?
What assumptions are you making?

Introduction
Literature Review
Using the lit
Ongoing conversations used to assess previous research and theretical concepts
Introduction establishes credibility and interest established the author’s voice




Literature Review
Theoretical articles
Current articles
Landmark Studies
Which takes us to our purpose

Literature Review Guidelines
Provide a roadmap for your reader
State what will be and will not be included
Specify your theoretical framework early
Aim for a clear and cohesive essay
Avoid summaries or annotations
Use subheadings (remember APA format)
Use transitions
Prepare a table
Write a conclusion of the review
Check the flow of your argument for coherence

STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Establishes a theoretical framework
Demonstrates knowledge about the topic
Reveals gaps in the literature
Leads toward the general research questions
Articulates a sound rationale for the need to conduct the study

Purpose is the essence of the study

Intent grounded in genre
Central concept
Definition of concept
Unit of analysis

Significance, overview, and Limitations

Significance
Reasoning emphasizing the contribution to the relevant domain
Overview questions
Guide your work
Nondirectional: don’t imply cause and effect
Limitations
Stipulate weaknesses of the study

Design and Methods
Plan
Demonstrates capability to do the study
Preserves design flexibility


Components of design and methods
Overall genre and rationale
Site and poupulation selection
Site entry purposeful sample
Data collection procedures, including sampling , people, events, processes interactions
Preliminary data analysis strategy
Trustworthiness, including limitations
Ethical considerations