research methods in politics 17

Research Methods in Politics ChaptResearch Methods in Politics Chapter 17er 17

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Research Methods in Research Methods in PoliticsPolitics

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Analysing Qualitative Information:Analysing Qualitative Information:

Classifying, Coding, InterpretingClassifying, Coding, Interpreting


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Teaching and Learning ObjectivesTeaching and Learning Objectives

1.1. to learn how to develop and apply your to learn how to develop and apply your own codesown codes

2.2. to learn how to interpret coded to learn how to interpret coded information using tables and diagramsinformation using tables and diagrams

3.3. to understand how to use the to understand how to use the techniques of ‘memo-ing’, case techniques of ‘memo-ing’, case analysis meetings and interim case analysis meetings and interim case summariessummaries

4.4. to learn how to construct your own to learn how to construct your own typology typology


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Qualitative InformationQualitative Information

‘‘talk and text’talk and text’ methods of analysismethods of analysis

– codingcoding CAQDASCAQDAS manuallymanually

– content analysiscontent analysis– discourse analysisdiscourse analysis


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CodesCodes

simplesimple shortshort uniqueunique memorablememorable alpha-numericalpha-numeric genericgeneric


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CodesCodes

theoretical codestheoretical codes descriptive codesdescriptive codes inferential codesinferential codes factorsfactors ‘‘in vivo’ codesin vivo’ codes first-level codingfirst-level coding taggingtagging


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Generic CodesGeneric Codes

Education Education EE

Pre-schoolPre-school EpEp Early YearsEarly Years EpeEpe

Nursery Nursery EpnEpn

InfantsInfants EiEiJuniorJunior EjEjSecondarySecondary EsEsSixth-FormSixth-Form E6 E6

TeacherTeacher E6tE6t

Further EducationFurther Education EfEfHigher EducationHigher Education EhEh

UniversityUniversity EhuEhu Uni-TutorUni-Tutor EhutEhut

Uni-FriendUni-FriendEhufEhuf


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Example: Wilson/ HeathExample: Wilson/ Heath

VariableVariable EducationEducation EESunday schoolSunday school EEssssprep schoolprep school EEppsecondary schoolsecondary school EEsssixth-Formsixth-Form EEs6s6universityuniversity EEuuteachers and tutorsteachers and tutors EEtt

variablevariable FamilyFamily FFFatherFather FFffMotherMother FFmmSiblingSibling FFssGrandparentsGrandparents FFggUncles and AuntsUncles and Aunts FFuauaWifeWife FFwwChildrenChildren FFccOthersOthers FFoo

variablevariable ReligionReligion RRNonConformismNonConformism RRnnMethodismMethodism RRnmnmChurch of EnglandChurch of England RRcoecoeMinistersMinisters RRppLay preachersLay preachers RRlplp


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First-Level CodingFirst-Level Coding

RemarksRemarks Line Line NumbeNumberr

CodingCoding CodesCodes

His political careerHis political career

seems ‘written for him’. seems ‘written for him’.

Didn’t he ever rebel Didn’t he ever rebel against the orthodoxy against the orthodoxy or look at alternatives?or look at alternatives?

No mention of No mention of Damascene eventsDamascene events

Social and political Social and political engineering?engineering?

Is Wilson being entirely Is Wilson being entirely truthful or is this post-truthful or is this post-facto justification to facto justification to appeal to readers?appeal to readers?

001001

002002

003003

004004

Harris: Some men go into politics almost as a matter of Harris: Some men go into politics almost as a matter of course and some form of personal Damascus Why are course and some form of personal Damascus Why are you in politics?you in politics?

Wilson: I suppose the short answer is because Wilson: I suppose the short answer is because politicspolitics are in me, as far as I can remember. Farther than that: are in me, as far as I can remember. Farther than that: they they were in my familywere in my family; ; for generationsfor generations before me, before me, as they were in the families of dozens of members of as they were in the families of dozens of members of the Labour party. The first time that I can remember the Labour party. The first time that I can remember thinking systematically about politics was when I thinking systematically about politics was when I was sevenwas seven. I was in hospital with appendicitis. . I was in hospital with appendicitis. My My parentsparents came in to see me the night after my came in to see me the night after my operation and I told them not to stay too long or they’d operation and I told them not to stay too long or they’d be late to be late to vote – for Philip Snowdenvote – for Philip Snowden. Then when . Then when I I was ten I went to West Australia where my uncle was ten I went to West Australia where my uncle was an Australian MPwas an Australian MP and later President of the and later President of the Upper House. That was my first visit to a politician.Upper House. That was my first visit to a politician.

PP

FF

P, LcP, Lc

Fm, FfFm, Ff

PmPm

Lc, FaLc, Fa


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Tabulating Coded PassagesTabulating Coded Passages

PoliticsPolitics FamilyFamily ReligionReligion EducationEducation Life StagesLife Stages EventsEvents Voluntary Voluntary Org’sOrg’s

Politics Politics . . . . Were in my Were in my family; for family; for generationsgenerations

PoliticsPolitics . . . . . . were in were in my my family;family; for for generationsgenerations

. . remember . . remember thinking thinking about about politicspolitics when I was when I was sevenseven

. . remember . . remember thinking thinking about about politics politics when I was when I was sevenseven

I was ten I was ten when I went when I went to Australia to Australia where my where my uncle was uncle was an an MPMP

I was ten I was ten when I went when I went to Australia to Australia where my where my uncleuncle was was an MPan MP

I was I was ten ten when I went when I went to Australia to Australia where my where my uncle was uncle was an MPan MP

I was ten I was ten when when I went I went to Australiato Australia where my where my uncle was uncle was an MPan MP


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Colour-Code Co-VariablesColour-Code Co-VariablesPoliticsPolitics FamilyFamily ReligionReligion EducationEducation Life Life

StagesStagesEventsEvents Voluntary Voluntary

Org’sOrg’s


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Meta-AnalysisMeta-Analysis

Family

Religion

Education

Significant others

VoluntaryOrgan’s

Labour party

1930’sdepression

Marx


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Analytical TypologyAnalytical Typology

Tests explanation that political choices of Wilson and Tests explanation that political choices of Wilson and Heath were class and conformityHeath were class and conformity

conformityconformity

ClassClass conforming working class (Wilson)conforming working class (Wilson) nonconforming working-class (D. nonconforming working-class (D. Davis) Davis) conforming middle class (Heath)conforming middle class (Heath) non-conforming middle class non-conforming middle class (Attlee)(Attlee) conforming upper class (Macmillan)conforming upper class (Macmillan) nonconforming upper nonconforming upper class (Mosley)class (Mosley)


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Miles and Huberman (1994)Miles and Huberman (1994)

case study meetingscase study meetings interim case studyinterim case study memo-ingmemo-ing matrix displaysmatrix displays cognitive mapscognitive maps folk taxonomyfolk taxonomy


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Questions for Discussion or Questions for Discussion or AssignmentsAssignments

1.1. Consider and discuss the transcripts of the interviews Consider and discuss the transcripts of the interviews with Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. On the basis of with Harold Wilson and Edward Heath. On the basis of your theoretical understanding gained from other your theoretical understanding gained from other courses, what causal influences on their political choices courses, what causal influences on their political choices would you suggest? Scan the texts. Develop your own would you suggest? Scan the texts. Develop your own generic codes and apply these. What additional, in vivo generic codes and apply these. What additional, in vivo codes would you suggest? Tabulate the codes and codes would you suggest? Tabulate the codes and extracts for Wilson and Heath. Tabulate a comparison of extracts for Wilson and Heath. Tabulate a comparison of the transcripts. Develop a typology of your own. What the transcripts. Develop a typology of your own. What inferences would you suggest?inferences would you suggest?

2.2. Visit Visit www.bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk On the home page, enter “Paxman On the home page, enter “Paxman Interviews”. Select an interview with a UK political elite. If Interviews”. Select an interview with a UK political elite. If in doubt, use interview with Tony Blair on 27 April 2005. in doubt, use interview with Tony Blair on 27 April 2005. Click on ‘printable version’. Download, transcribe and Click on ‘printable version’. Download, transcribe and code. Note that you can also watch video recordings of code. Note that you can also watch video recordings of many BBC interviewsmany BBC interviews

research methods in politics 17

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