YUKUN's Questions

Question about objectives of qualitative studies and quantitative studies

In Flick’s “Design & Process in Qualitative Research,” p 149. There are three objectives for qualitative studies: description, testing of hypotheses, theory development. Could those objectives be quantitative studies? I believe testing of hypotheses and theory development could be quantitative studies’ objectives. But I don’t know if description could be quantitative studies’ objectives.

Question about revising research questions

In Flick’s article, from p 149 to 150, there are some discussions about the formation of research questions. I am wondering if we can revise our research questions in quantitative studies. Scholars in quantitative studies seem disagree with this notion. But, in my personal opinion, no matter in qualitative studies or quantitative studies, research questions all could be revised. I don’t know if it is corrective.

Question about levels of evidence

From page 88 to 90, Potter described three levels of evidence: Microlevel, Midlevel, Macrolevel. He listed many researches in each level. It seems that each level is distinctive. Is it possible to combine three different levels of evidence to answer a research question?

Question about active participant

In page 103, Potter discussed active participant. However, I think this activity is dangerous and hurt the objectivity. Though objectivity is not the most important feature of qualitative methods, I still believe researchers should keep a suitable distance from their research target. I believe that there is not problem for a experienced researcher, but a younger research may be misguided in this situation. Maybe we need some guidelines to conduct this activity.

Question about the combination of different methods

In Chapter 9, Potter listed various qualitative methods. At the end of this chapter, he wrote that “Typically the methods are used in combinations so that the weaknesses of one can be balanced by the strengths of other”. In my memory, I seldom found quantitative studies used different methods to answer research questions. Does it mean one qualitative method is not so inclusive that we need combine different ones? Or is there another answer?

Question about Manning & Cullum-Swan, “Narrative, Content, and Semiotic Analysis,”
Their discussions about American fast food===McDonald’s are very interested. It reminded me the Chick-fil-A. Because its owner is a Christian, its religious belief is reflected in this restaurant and company culture. At first, every restaurant of Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday. Second, in order to stress family value, atmosphere in their restaurants is very friendly to children. Instead of giving children toys, their attachments of kid’s meals are books. In my opinion, this company represents one specific class or religious group.

Questions about Makus’ “Stuart Hall’s theory of Ideology…”

1 In page 497, “ By thus stigmatizing those outside its consensus, dominant society encourages conformity to its norms and produces and reproduces consciousness”. I think it is a one-way thinking. It stressed that the upper class force the lower class to obey the dominant rule, consensus or ideology. Maybe the conformation is a procedure of negotiation or interaction between upper and lower classes.

2 “ Political, economic, technological, social, and ideological factors are interrelated in a complex conjuncture of unity”. It reminded me the discussion about globalization. The dominate created a system such as international laws or regimes to ask other actors to obey, and the winner’s interests are protected by this system. Material powers create ideologies, and ideologies protect material interests.

Question about “In Defense of Textual Analysis”

Fursich criticized Philo’s argument in page 249 “ He seems to privilege journalists’ estimates or selective audience interpretations over the textual media content”. In my opinion, it is the shortcoming for very qualitative method. Even if researches focusing the text, there will be such a failure.