Mario Luis Small Knihy

Focusing on the evaluation of qualitative research, this book provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the rigor and quality of in-depth interviews and ethnography. Authors Mario Luis Small and Jessica McCrory Calarco present clear criteria supported by practical examples, making it an essential resource for social science research methods courses, scholars, and practitioners. The text emphasizes the unique aspirations of qualitative methods, aiming to transform how researchers and students approach and reflect on qualitative studies.

Suppose you were given two qualitative one is a piece of empirically sound social science and the other, though interesting and beautifully written, is not. How would you tell the difference?  Qualitative Literacy presents criteria to assess qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviewing and participant observation. Qualitative research is indispensable to the study of inequality, poverty, education, public health, immigration, the family, and criminal justice. Each of the hundreds of ethnographic and interview studies published yearly on these issues is scientifically either sound or unsound. This guide provides social scientists, researchers, students, evaluators, policy makers, and journalists with the tools needed to identify and evaluate quality in field research.

Why do some people enjoy larger, more supportive, or otherwise more useful networks than others? Exploring the experiences of New York City mothers whose children were enrolled in childcare centers, Mario Luis Small examines why a great deal of these mothers dramatically expanded both the size and usefulness of their personal networks.

Recent research has revitalized the exploration of culture's influence on poverty, with sociologists, demographers, and economists examining how cultural factors shape the behaviors of low-income populations. Unlike earlier views that suggested culture could perpetuate poverty independently of structural changes, contemporary scholars offer a more nuanced understanding. This volume presents insightful articles that connect poverty and culture scholarship, making it essential for sociologists and social science researchers seeking to understand these evolving dynamics.