methods as critical junctures research logics for interpretive qualitative inquiry annette markham...

Methods as Critical Junctures

Research Logics

For Interpretive Qualitative Inquiry

Annette Markham

Aarhus University

May 9, 2011

The Saturated Self

Homo NarransInterpretive Sociology

Distributed IdentityEthnography

Individualized RealitiesSymbolic Interactionism

Organizational Studies

Fabrication as Ethical Practice

Annette’s Remix

Erving Goffman

Karl Weick

Michel Foucault

Howard Becker, Norm Denzin

Kenneth Gergen

“we have to decide fairly soon what it is we as humans ought to become, because we’re on the brink of having the power of creating any experience we desire” (Rheingold, 1991)

“ It will deeply change politics, culture, and the fabric of society—if not, indeed, the very metaphysics of human existence” (Wright, 1994)

“Virtuality through computer mediated communication announces the end of the body, the apocalypse of corporeal subjectivity” (Keeps, 1995)

Early 1990s

“Who should I accept as a friend? Everyone I know or just people I like?” (U.S. teen talking about Facebook)

“What role does social media play in protest movements, like Egypt or Wisconsin?” (everyone)

Should I be angry or try to sue people for spreading my photography all over the internet or just be glad I was noticed? (Noam Galai)

“How can musicians engage their fans through social media?” (Nancy Baym)

2011

Ubiquitous Internet

Increased convergence

Always On, Always Connected

Extensive networks of personal connection

Multiple interfaces for experiencing information

Culture21.c

Are methods of sensemaking adequate?

Are our methods still protecting participants?

Why is there (still) a persistent cry for accuracy and truth?

Are we afraid to take risks in methods?

Questions I’ve been asking

Borrow

Interrogate

Move

Play

Generate

Remix or Bricolage

Method is never monolithic. Or static.

Quality is about reflexivity, not universality.

Methods are ethical and political choices. …With consequence.

My Method Mantra

Phenomenon

questions

actions

exploration

collecting

managing

categorizing

interpreting

writing

The Answer

TEXTS…or objects that function as texts, in that they can be “read.”

Phenomenon

questions

actions

exploration

collecting

managing

categorizing

interpreting

writing

The Answer

Phenomenon

Filtered

Through one’s

Situated worldview

whereby meaning is

Framed

Edited, Refined

and

(re) presented

An Impression

Methods = Choices

Hopefully, more like decisions than habits.

methodmethod

method

method

method

method

method

method method

method

decisiondecision

decision

decision

decision

decision

decision

decision decision

decision

actionaction

action

action

action

action

action

action action

action

?

??

Critical Junctures / Decision Points

Decision Points Critical

Junctures

Generating Questions

Determining field boundaries

Accessing Participants

Sorting and filtering ‘data’

Collecting Information

Analyzing ‘texts’

Representing self and other in report

Identifying objects of analysis

Sorting into general themes

Discarding information

Interpreting findings

Framing Knowledge for the audience

.

Object of inquiry

What

Why

How

Where

When

Who

Object of Inquiry

Object of inquiry

What is the phenomenon? What are we choosing as the point of analysis?

Why do it? Whose interests does this study serve? What is our goal?

How are we conceptualizing? How are we approaching?

Where are we located and why does that matter? Where is the study situated?

When are we doing research?

Who are the agents/actants, beyond the obvious? Who are we?

Object of Inquiry

Object of inquiryObject of Analysis?

Semiotics

Symbolic interactionism

Social Constructionism

Performance Theory

Organizational sensemaking

Communication as Ritual

Rhetorical Theory

Actor Network

Where are we coming

from?

Structuration

Grounded TheoryEtc., etc.

Object of inquiryObject of Analysis?

Follow the People

Follow the Plot, Story, or Allegory

Follow the Life or Biography

Follow the Thing

Follow the metaphor

Follow the opposites

Where are we going?

Follow the movement

Follow the intersections

Follow the between

Follow the Conflict

Follow the …etc., etc.

Object of inquiry

Object of Analysis?

MIC

RO

What are we

analyzing?

Naturally occurring discourse

Contrived Discourse(interviews, focus groups)

Actions or evidence of actions. Performances.

Traces of self

Cultural/Social OutcomesStructures,

Meaning, Norms, Institutions

Objects, Technologies

Absence. Silence. Deletions.

MAC

RO

Object of inquiry

Object of Analysis?

Discourse analysis

ConversationAnalysis

Linguistic Analysis

Narrative Analysis

Metaphor Analysis

Visual Analysis

What analytical tools?

Etc., etc.

To DescribeTo UnderstandTo ExplainTo PredictTo ControlTo Critique

To PublishTo Prove YourselfTo get FundingTo get Tenure or Promotion

To provide therapy for cultural members

Social Justice

To create sustainable futures

To fix a problem

Object of inquiry

Object of Analysis?

Why?