1
SOCB2506: APPLYING SOCIOLOGY - QUALITATIVE METHODS
Lecturer:
Olga Zhmurko M.A.
Faculty of Social Studies
Office: 3.59 (Joštova 10)
Office hours: Monday 13.00 - 16.30/Wednesday
10.00 – 12.00
Tel.: 549 49 8610
Email: 248067@mail.muni.cz
Meeting place and time: Monday 8.00 – 9.40, U53
Course objectives:
The course presents an overview of the qualitative methods used in the social sciences, focusing on the
practical usage of qualitative research tools in social inquiry. The course is aimed at bachelors’ students, who
study sociology and other fields within the social sciences. The intent is to build an understanding of the
logic of qualitative inquiry in practical usage: academic research, policy making, market research and others.
The course provides ontological and epistemological perspectives on qualitative methods, combining them
with practice in groups and individually, reading, discussions and peer-to-peer learning methods. The course
is aimed to demonstrate in which variety of social fields qualitative methods can be used, along with their
prospective outcomes and outputs, their limitations and how to use the strength of qualitative methods and
minimize the challenges. By the end of the course, the students will be familiar with a range of qualitative
methods (interviews, focus-groups, case-studies, ethnographic research, text analysis and others). They will
read key texts in the field, which present different perspectives and approaches, and analyse the differences,
as well as their strong sides and limitations. Students will conduct their own practice-oriented research
during the course and will have an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and outcomes they have faced
during its implementation.
By the end of the course the students will be equipped with knowledge and skills for applying qualitative
methods in social inquiry for specific groups and areas.
Learning outcomes:
It is expected that by the end of the course the students will be able:
- To understand the key purpose of qualitative methods and the ways in which they could be applied;
- To explain the purpose and potential scope in the usage of different kinds of qualitative methods
in social research;
- To identify research questions and find the approaches to address them within qualitative enquiry;
- To evaluate the quality of the qualitative methodology design in social studies and works;
- To obtain the skills on conduction the basic qualitative inquiry, and reflect on their usage and
prospective development.
- To define whether qualitative methods are applicable in social inquiry, how to modify them to
conduct the basic social qualitative inquiry and how to analyze the qualitative data.
- To know about the limitations of qualitative methods and successfully navigate opportunities in
different areas and groups.
2
Course structure:
The course is designed as a lecture-seminar and student-led seminar format with core readings (most of
them available in pdf format in IS) and group or individual project preparation and presentation. The course
is designed with a balance of theoretical knowledge combined with practical skill development.
Course content
• Introduction to the course and brief overview
• Paradigms of qualitative methods of research:
- Epistemological points of view on social phenomena and the objects we are studying.
- An overview of some theories concerning qualitative research methods.
- The importance of understanding different research paradigms
• Concepts, theories and approaches within qualitative methods – a brief overview:
- Grounded theory
- Case studies
- Applied Interpretive approach
- Feminist qualitative research
• Qualitative data collection and analysis
- The interview process in qualitative data collection
- Participant observation and ethnography
- In-depth interviews
- Focus-groups and experiments
- Design a research methodology: thinking as a sociologist while using qualitative methods
- Mixed methods research
- Content analysis and coding
• Writing up and evaluating qualitative research: narrating, concluding and recommending
• Development of project proposal on qualitative methods of research
Activities, requirements, expectations and grading:
1) CLASS PARTICIPATION: Approximately 50 percent the class time will be dedicated to lectures,
in which students are encouraged to interact, ask questions and contribute; the remaining 50
minutes will be dedicated to group discussions and practice, based on the reading materials for each
class. In addition, two classes (a milestone seminar in Week 8 and the final seminar in Week 13)
will be fully dedicated to the group discussion, presentation of your fieldwork and research findings,
reflections on the literature you’ve read and the tasks you completed. Students will receive the
options for the tasks prior to each seminar class, and will be able to work on their practice-oriented
skills during the semester. The discussions (the seminar portion of the classes) will take on a variety
of formats.
Participation in the class means: contribution to the discussion, based on your weekly reading
questions and the topics, which will arise, participation in group work, and individual presentations.
To highlight the importance of the participation in our classes, participation in class discussion
accounts for 25 percent of the final course grade.
2) READING AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS (FROM WEEKLY LITERATURE OR
WEEKLY PRACTICE TASKS): All of the classes are complemented by a list of literature
(obligatory and supplementary). Students are required to prepare at least three discussion questions
from the obligatory literature assigned for every class. It is expected that students will address critical
and reflective questions on the reading materials and how they relate to their vision of the
3
application of the qualitative methods. Students are also encouraged to provide their critical
comments and reflections of what they read before the class. The list of questions and reflections
should be submitted online in the Homework Vaults in the IS (the link will be provided) not later
than 8.00 PM the (working) day – Friday - before class. Based on the questions, we will develop
and facilitate the group discussion in each class, and they will also let me know that you have read
the texts and fulfil this requirement. The reading and the discussion questions account for another
18 percent of the final grade for course.
3) SEMINARS (PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS): Two classes will be totally dedicated to seminar
activity, based on discussions of the results of the seminar tasks and individual or group
presentations. Students will be required to complete a group (please find a colleague) for development
and preparation of a research design proposal by the end of the course. Please, inform your teacher
not later than Week 3 about the content of your group and topic of your research design proposal.
We will discuss the prospective topics and how to choose them in Week 2.
The milestone seminar (Week 8) will be dedicated to the presentation and discussion of your short drafts
of research design papers, in which you should indicate:
- The aim of the research;
- The methods you are going to use, and the theories and approaches upon which you rely;
- The description of the sample (the categories of respondents) – which groups (demographic, social
and other characteristics), and an explanation for why you have chosen these groups.
- A short set of questions, formulated for the potential interviews (interview/FGD preparation).
During the seminar students will work in pairs/groups: they will test the questions and will give feedback
on the tools of each other; then, we will have a general discussion about the assignment at the end of the
class.
Students will have a chance to elaborate and finalize their research design papers, based on the comments
of the group’s participants, the theoretical and reading materials for the course and then present them at the
end of the course – on May 8. The final seminar (Week 13) will be dedicated to the presentation of the
final research design preparation. The final research design proposal should include:
- Goals, tasks and research questions (Why? When? What?);
- A list of methods and approaches (How?), the sources of information;
- The means of data analysis (textual analysis, computer assisted approaches, etc.);
- The expected results;
- The research tools (archival research plan, guides for the FGDs or in-depth interviews)
Each seminar participation accounts for 15 percent of the final course grade (30 percent in total).
4) FINAL EXAM: in-class – based on the obligatory list of literature, the students will write short
answers to 3 questions (each answer 200-300 words).
Grading:
The final grade consists of:
1) class participation (25%)
2) weekly questions (18%)
3) research design presentation (milestone seminar) (15%)
4) research design presentation (final seminar) (15%)
5) final written exam (27%) based on compulsory readings. The familiarity with these texts is necessary
to pass the course. The students will be offered a list of questions, and could choose 3 of them and
answer them in written form.
Week
#
Dates Topic of the lecture Reading materials
4
1 13th of
Feb.
Introduction to the course and brief
overview: thinking in paradigm of
qualitative methods.
Syllabus
2 20th of
Feb.
Epistemological points of view on
social phenomena and the objects we
are studying. An overview of some
theories of qualitative research
methods:
Grounded theory, Case studies,
Applied Interpretive approaches and
Feminist qualitative research
Obligatory reading:
1. James Mahoney and Gary Goertz, 2006, “A Tale of
Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative
Research,” Political Analysis, vol. 14, n°3, p. 227-249
(23 pp.)
Supplementary reading
2. Robert Thornberg and Kathy Charmaz “Grounded
Theory and Theoretical Coding” The SAGE
Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis pp. 153 – 170
(17 pp.)
3. Ragin, Charles C. 1992. "Introduction: Cases of “What
is a case?’" in Ragin and Becker, eds. What is a Case?
Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry, pp. 1-17.
https://www.miguelangelmartinez.net/IMG/pdf/199
2_Ragin_What_is_a_case_chapter.pdf
3 27th of
Feb.
Qualitative methods’
implementation: participant
observation and ethnography
Obligatory reading:
1. Harrison Anthony Kwame Ethnography. The Oxford
Handbook of Qualitative Research, Oxford, Oxford
University Press, pp. 223 – 253 (29 pp.)
2. Sarah M. Zeller-Berkman “Lineages: A Past, Present,
and Future of Participatory Action Research” The
Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research, Oxford,
Oxford University Press, pp. 518 – 532 (15 pp.)
4 6th of
March
Qualitative methods’
implementation: in-depth
interviews
Obligatory reading:
1. Brinkmann Svend “Unstructured and Semi-Structured
Interviewing”. The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative
Research, Oxford, Oxford University Press pp. 277 –
299 (29 pp.).
Supplementary reading
1. Alex Marland and Anna Lennox, 2019, “Negotiating
with gatekeepers to get interviews with politicians:
qualitative research recruitment in a digital media
environment,” Qualitative Research Qualitative
Research Volume 19, Issue 6, December
2019, pages 685-702 (16 pp.)
5 13th of
March
Qualitative methods’
implementation: practice seminar
on development the research
questions and the tools.
Obligatory reading task:
Reconstruction of the guide for in-depth interviews
and development of the research questions
Watch the film: “Brexit. The Uncivil War”. 2019 (Channel 4)
6 20th of
March
Qualitative methods’
implementation: focus-groups and
their implementation
Obligatory reading:
1. George Kamberelis, Greg Dimitriadis “Focus Group
Research: Retrospect and Prospect” “The Oxford
Handbook of Qualitative Research (2nd edn) Patricia
Leavy (ed.) pp. 482 – 494, 503 – 510 (19 pp.)
7 27th of
March
Reading week
8 3rd of
April
Qualitative research’s design. Obligatory reading:
1. Uwe Flick. Designing Qualitative Research. Chapters.
3”Sampling, selecting and access” - 4 “Qualitative
research design” 2007. Pp. 25 – 50 (25 pp.)
5
9
National
holiday
10th of April
Qualitative data analysis Obligatory reading:
1. Flick Uwe Chapter 10. Analyzing qualitative data
“Designing qualitative research” 2007 Sage
Publications. Pp. 68 – 77 (10pp.).
2. Johnny Saldaña “Coding and Analysis Strategies” The
Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research, Oxford,
Oxford University Press, pp. 581 - 598 (13 pp.)
10 17th of
April
Writing up and evaluating
qualitative research: Narrating,
concluding and recommending
Obligatory reading:
1. Joseph A. Maxwell and Margaret Chmiel.
“Generalization in and from Qualitative Analysis”. The
SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis pp.
540 – 553 (13 pp.)
2. Michael Murray “Implementation: Putting Analyses
into Practice” The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative
Data Analysis pp. 585 – 599 (14 pp.)
Supplementary reading
Jane F. Gilgun. “Writing Up Qualitative Research” The Oxford
Handbook of Qualitative Research, Oxford, Oxford University
Press, pp. 658 – 676
11 24th of
April
Research transparency and ethics of
research
Obligatory reading:
1. Anna Traianou “The Centrality of Ethics in
Qualitative Practice“The Oxford Handbook of
Qualitative Research (2nd edn) Patricia Leavy (ed.) pp.
86 – 110 (23 pp.)
Supplementary reading;
Dana R. Fisher. 2016. “Doing Qualitative Research as if
Counsel is Hiding in the Closet.” Contexts 15(2):12-14 (2 pp.).
https://contexts.org/blog/doing-qualitativeresearch-as-if-counsel-
is-hiding-in-the-closet
12
National
holiday
1st of May
Development of project proposal on
qualitative methods of research –
conclusive lecture
Obligatory reading:
Focused, individualized reading to help with developing the final
research design paper
13
National
holiday
8th of May
The final papers should be uploaded to the
Homework Vaults, the feedback will be provided
electronically.
Final exam: See the scheduled date to be posted in the IS