A Realist Approach for Qualitative Research

by Joseph A. Maxwell

• ISBN13: 9780761929239
• ISBN10: 0761929231
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-11-15
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

Are cultural and material phenomena equally real? How can one study the relationships between cultural constructions, social behavior and material conditions and draw a valid conclusion from the data? In contrast to interpretive or constructivist positions, realism supports the insights of critical theory in social and educational research regarding the relationships between actors' perspectives and their actual situations, while avoiding the epistemological objectivism associated with positivism and some forms of post-positivist empiricism. This book will explain how readers can use realism to conceptualize and conduct their qualitative study to get results with greater validity.

Table of Contents

Preface: The Value of Realism for Qualitative Research	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. x
About the Author	p. xiii
A Realist Stance for Qualitative Research	p. l
What Is Realism, and Why Should Qualitative Researchers Care?	p. 3
Meaning and Culture Are Real	p. 15
Causation Is Real	p. 33
Diversity Is Real	p. 49
Realism and Qualitative Methods	p. 69
The Realities of Research Design	p. 71
Research Relationships and Data Collection	p. 93
Real and Virtual Relationships in Qualitative Data Analysis (with Barbara Miller)	p. 109
Understanding, Validity, and Evidence	p. 127
Applications of Realism in Qualitative Research	p. 149
Explaining Plains Indian Social Organization	p. 151
Meaning and Diversity in Inuit Kinship and Culture	p. 155
Conclusion	p. 181
References	p. 183
Author Index	p. 205
Subject Index	p. 211
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