Deck 5: How Can Researchers Understand Meaning, Process, and Experience in the Social World Qualitative Research

Question 1

Which of the following is not a feature of the qualitative approach?

A) It usually involves an inductive view of the relationship between theory and research.
B) Qualitative research is typically interpretivist.
C) Qualitative researchers prioritize objectivity.
D) It is interested in how reality is socially constructed.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When research tries to minimize the use of artificial methods and other disturbances to social worlds being studied, this is called

A) Inductive research
B) Naturalism
C) Constructionism
D) Interpretivism

Answer 2

B

Question 3

______________ is a way of understanding social life as the product of interactions between people.

A) Inductive research
B) Naturalism
C) Constructionism
D) Interpretivism

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When researchers begin with the collection of data and then use those data to develop theory, they are practicing ________________ research.

A) Inductive
B) Naturalistic
C) Deductive
D) Interpretive

Question 5

Which of the following is a data collection method typically used by a qualitative researcher?

A) Ethnography
B) All of these
C) Content Analysis
D) Focus Groups

Question 6

_________ is the ability to make inferences about a population using sample data.

A) Generalizability
B) Representativeness
C) Sampling
D) Population

Question 7

__________ is a data collection technique used during ethnography, where researchers interact with, observe, and listen to people in the research setting.

A) Participation observation
B) Field notes
C) Focus groups
D) Content analysis

Question 8

________________ greatly influenced the development of qualitative research methodology.

A) C. Wright Mills
B) Sociologists at the University of Chicago
C) Max Weber
D) None of these

Question 9

Which of the following is not a hallmark of the Chicago School's qualitative approach?

A) It emphasized field work as the best way to understand people and communities.
B) Researchers believed social structures and contexts shaped people's lives.
C) They applied evolutionary theories to human experiences.
D) They viewed the city of Chicago as a laboratory.

Question 10

Schuman and his team found that ______% of White people claimed they'd have no objection to Black people moving into their neighborhood, despite their concerns about race impacting their housing choices.

A) 90
B) 80
C) 50
D) Less than 25

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why survey research may not be the best way to measure people's racial attitudes?

A) Survey data may have sampling error.
B) It's not possible to construct effective survey questions on this topic.
C) Non-response bias may skew results.
D) Survey research is less well-suited to delving deep into racial perspectives, like color-blind racism.

Question 12

Which qualitative method did Bonilla-Silva utilize in his study of color-blind racism?

A) Ethnography
B) Content Analysis
C) In-person interviews
D) Focus Groups

Question 13

The process that qualitative researchers utilize when they gather data and then reflect on what is revealed before gathering more is described as ___________.

A) Iterative
B) Inductive
C) Deductive
D) Proximate

Question 14

Which of the following is not one of the attributes of qualitative research described by Aspers and Corte?

A) Improve understanding
B) Closeness
C) Naturalistic
D) Process

Question 15

An ethnographer spending extensive time in the field in contact with the research participants is best an example of which attribute? Emergence of Qualitative Approach

A) Closeness
B) Improve understanding
C) Distinctions
D) Process

Question 16

Which of the following is a finding from Peek's research on Muslims after the September 11^th attacks?

A) Despite the threats of discrimination, many of the respondents developed stronger ties to their Muslim religion and community and openly displayed their faith.
B) Backlash against Muslim Americans was similar to what occurred after the Oklahoma City attack in 1995.
C) Many of the respondents did not experience prejudice or pressure to assimilate prior to the 9/11 attacks.
D) Because of fear of physical attacks, many respondents responded by hiding their Muslim faith.

Question 17

Which qualitative method did Peek use for her study of Muslim Americans after 9/11?

A) Ethnography
B) Content Analysis
C) In-person interviews
D) Focus Groups

Question 18

Lofland and Lofland coined the phrase "___________", which means imagining yourself in others' situations.

A) take the role of the other
B) qualitative inquiry
C) empathy
D) social construction of reality

Question 19

Which of the following is not a practical dilemma researchers face in their effort to empathize with their respondents/

A) How far should a researcher go to develop empathy?
B) How should a research respond to illegal or dangerous activities?
C) How does the researcher's social status impact their understanding?
D) How many respondents should the researcher include in the study?

Question 20

What item did Gibson-Light notice was being used as currency in informal prison exchanges?

A) Cigarettes
B) Ramen noodles
C) Chocolate
D) Phone cards

Question 21

While rich detail is vital in qualitative research, Lofland and Lofland warn about providing an overwhelming amount of details. What do they call this phenomenon?

A) Thick description
B) Thin description
C) Descriptive excess
D) Closeness

Question 22

Which data collection method is not mentioned as being useful for analyzing processes?

A) Ethnography
B) Content Analysis
C) In-depth interviewing
D) Life history

Question 23

A qualitative method that emphasizes people's experiences and connections with larger social events across a lifetime is known as

A) Qualitative method
B) Ethnography
C) In-depth interviewing
D) Life History Method

Question 24

Weiss found that what is a social process rather than a discrete event?

A) Divorce
B) Retirement
C) Changing careers
D) Getting engaged

Question 25

In her research, Buday found that grassroots anti-fracking activists aligned with who in order to urge a ban on fracking?

A) A professionalized environmental advocacy organization
B) Other grassroots activists
C) State level politicians
D) Local politicians

Question 26

Which methodology did Buday utilize in her study of anti-fracking activists?

A) Participant observation
B) In-depth interviewing
C) Content analysis
D) Participant observation and interviews

Question 27

The research questions asked by qualitative researchers tend to be _______.

A) Close-ended
B) Predetermined
C) Process-oriented
D) Open-ended

Question 28

What was the setting of Jenkin's 2019 study?

A) An Indian owned restaurant
B) A West African braiding salon
C) A West African nail salon
D) Online restaurant reviews

Question 29

Which represents an unexpected finding in Jenkins' work?

A) Race was an important aspect of the salon's culture.
B) Only women patronized the salon.
C) Nationality and citizenship impacted how people interacted in the salon.
D) Most of the women in the salon spoke English.

Question 30

Which goal of qualitative research is best demonstrated by Jenkins' study?

A) Open-ended, flexible approach
B) Seeing through the eyes of the people being studied
C) Providing rich description of the context
D) None of these

Question 31

Dr. Reed wants to pursue his research project with an open structure. Which data collection method is best suited for this goal?

A) Content analysis
B) Ethnography
C) In-depth interviewing
D) None of these

Question 32

Which type of household was not part of Lareau's research study?

A) Upper-class families
B) Middle-class families
C) Poor families
D) All of these

Question 33

Lareau's guiding research question was what?

A) How does social class affect parenting practices, children's lives, and their future opportunities?
B) How does race affect parenting practices, children's lives, and their future opportunities?
C) How does a child's upbringing impact their future parenting practices?
D) What regional differences shape parenting practices, regardless of social class and race?

Question 34

What is the typical second step of the qualitative research process?

A) Asking general research questions
B) Selecting relevant sites and participants
C) Collecting relevant data
D) Analyzing data

Question 35

How did Lareau choose the families for her study?

A) She contacted district administrators for lists of students attending public schools in the selected towns and then selected every n^th student. She reached out to the student's family to ask if they were interested.
B) She talked with initial contacts who then identified families that would best fit the research focus. Those contacts would then direct her to families they knew who might be interested in participating.
C) Working with administrators in school districts she created a list of schools, then approached parents of school children to create a list of students. Finally she used systematic sampling to determine which families to approach.
D) None of these

Question 36

How long did Lareau and her team collect data?

A) 18 months
B) 4 years
C) 6 months
D) 8 years

Question 37

When a researcher reads interview transcripts line-by-line and describes each line of data with a phrase or word, this is known as ____________.

A) Data collection
B) Generalizing
C) Measuring
D) Coding

Question 38

A key finding from Lareau's work was ______________________.

A) Middle-class parenting strategies were superior to the parenting strategies of working-class/poor families.
B) Middle-class children were more likely to develop a sense of entitlement when engaging with institutions like school, whereas working class children were less assertive and less trusting of institutions.
C) Children of working class and poor families felt less love than middle-class parents.
D) Working class parents were more like to encourage their children to actively question adults, whereas middle-class children were encouraged to not to question authority.

Question 39

Lareau coined the phrase ___________to refer to a parenting process where kids were allowed to "be kids," had extensive free time, and strong relationships to extended kin.

A) Concerted cultivation
B) Cultivated natural growth
C) Accomplishment of natural growth
D) Accomplishment of cultivation

Question 40

Step 5 of the research process involves collecting further data. This is best explained by which of the following?

A) Qualitative researchers always collect data in multiple phases.
B) Because qualitative researchers may choose more than one location for their study, data collection happens more than once.
C) None of these.
D) When researchers analysis early data in the study, it can point them in new directions requiring further data collection.

Question 41

Lareau concluded that _______________.

A) African American parents engaged in more problematic parenting styles than white parents.
B) Working-class and poor families were raising their children in a way that would damage them in the future.
C) The economic and material resources available to the middle-class puts them in a privileged position to provide opportunities and advantages for their kids.
D) Families in the Midwestern town had fewer opportunities for cultural exposure compared to families in the Northeast.

Question 42

What dataset did Lareau and her collaborators use to further study the patterns found in her ethnographic research?

A) General Social Survey
B) High School and Beyond dataset
C) Fieldnotes from her ethnography
D) Panel Study of Income Dynamics.

Question 43

Which of the following was a new finding from Lareau's analysis of the PSID-CDS data?

A) Working class children spent less time with relatives than middle-class children.
B) Race was not a factor in terms of children's participation in organized activities.
C) Social class did impact children's participation in organized activities.
D) Middle-class children spent less time with relatives than working class children.

Question 44

Dr. Williams finds that her research findings apply to groups outside of her sample. This means that her research is ______________.

A) Generalizable
B) Replicable
C) Objective
D) Valid

Question 45

A position that approaches social phenomenon as if they have an existence independent of social actors or their perceptions is known as __________.

A) Generalizability
B) Objectivity
C) Replicability
D) Positivism

Question 46

Which group was not mentioned as one whose perspectives are often omitted from widely accepted knowledge?

A) Middle-class people
B) Working-class people
C) Transgender people
D) People with disabilities

Question 47

Which of the following is not a reason that qualitative researchers question whether objectivity should be the goal of research?

A) Qualitative researchers view the subjectivity of qualitative research to be one of its strengths.
B) The demands for distance and objectivity can replicate power hierarchies.
C) Researchers can get accurate and meaningful findings through the rapport they build with participants.
D) It is impossible for qualitative research, by its nature, to be objective so this is not an important consideration.

Question 48

Which of the following best explains how Roschelle and Kaufmann's study of homeless youth could be generalized beyond the sample?

A) Because this is not a randomly selected sample, it is impossible to generalize any findings beyond the sample.
B) Because their sample was small, it would be unethical to generalize their findings beyond the youth in their sample.
C) Their study yielded generalizations about what it means to be a homeless youth and the stigmas that homeless children faced.
D) Homeless youth have the same experiences regardless of where they are located.

Question 49

The process of reproducing a study previously completed by researching a topic, population, or situation again at a different time is known as

A) Replicate
B) Generalization
C) Research
D) Restudy

Question 50

How would most qualitative researchers think about replicability of qualitative studies?

A) Researchers should engage in researcher that deepens our understanding of social categories and therefore should choose concepts to study further.
B) Because researchers will observe different things in the research setting, it is impossible to replicate studies and therefore should not be a concern of qualitative researchers.
C) With careful planning and attention to detail, it is possible to fully replicate a qualitative study.
D) Because qualitative researchers write and reflect extensively on the research process, restudy is possible.

Question 51

Qualitative analysis focuses on meanings, social processes, and contexts rather than numbers.

Question 52

One feature of qualitative research is its deductive approach to understanding the social world.

Question 53

An interpretivist approach means that the focus is on how people interpret their own experiences.

Question 54

Qualitative research understands social life to be a fixed structure.

Question 55

Qualitative research attempts to minimize the use of artificial methods and other disturbances to the social world being studied.

Question 56

Typically, when researchers use an ethnographic approach to data collection, they only collect data through their observation in the field.

Question 57

Qualitative research always involves engaging and interacting with people.

Question 58

Qualitative methods were greatly influenced by sociologists at the University of Chicago in the 1920s and 1930s.

Question 59

Qualitative methods fell out of favour following World War II based on criticism that they were non-scientific.

Question 60

Schuman's (1997) research about racial attitudes proves that surveys are not an effective way to understand race and racism.

Question 61

Bonilla-Silva's (2018) primary finding is that whites have less racist views today and are more open-minded in their colour-blind approach.

Question 62

Aspers and Corte (2019) articulated three main attributes of qualitative research in their review of articles on qualitative research methods and studies.

Question 63

The process of qualitative research involves researchers identifying a clear set of variables, analysing their attributes, and developing conclusions.

Question 64

Qualitative research is an iterative process, where researchers are constantly questioning and exploring throughout the research process.

Question 65

Peek (2011) found from her interviews with Muslim Americans that they experienced increased physical assault, verbal harassment, discrimination, and hostility after the 9/11 attacks.

Question 66

Taking the role of the other is an important aspect of qualitative research.

Question 67

In qualitative research, it is not possible to share too much detailed description of the context being studied.

Question 68

Weiss' 2005 research found that retirement is generally understood as a discrete moment in time for retirees.

Question 69

Qualitative researchers prefer an open-ended approach to data collection to ensure that they are not limiting their scope when in the field.

Question 70

Jenkins (2019) expected her research to focus on describing the West African beauty salons where her field work took place, but discovered that nationality and citizenship differences were important dynamics.

Question 71

Lareau's research question primarily focused on how race impacted parenting strategies.

Question 72

The first step of qualitative research is selecting the research site and participants.

Question 73

Lareau analysed interview data by coding the transcripts of each interview allowing her to identify key themes and topics.

Question 74

Because of its' subjectivity, it is not possible to generalize findings from qualitative research.

Question 75

Quantitative research, by nature, is more objective than qualitative research.

Question 76

Explain in your own words the terms inductive, constructionist, naturalistic, and interpretivist. How do these influence qualitative research studies?

Question 77

When did qualitative research emerge as a recognized methodology? What sorts of studies did early qualitative researchers engage in and why was this the best approach?

Question 78

Describe the four main attributes that define qualitative research according to Aspers and Corte. Discuss how these enable qualitative researchers to develop particular understandings about their topics.

Question 79

Compare the results of Schuman et al's (1997) findings about racial attitudes with what Bonilla-Silva found. What accounts for the differences?

Question 80

What topics or situations might be particularly useful to study using qualitative methods? Why? Provide a few examples.