Qualitative Research Genres

I must admit - my head is spinning after undertaking this reading. I want to post a comment now when what I have read is fresh in my mind, but perhaps I will have to return on Monday and offer further thoughts after I have taken time to digest!

Catherine Marshall and Gretchen B. Rossman take on the daunting challenge of providing an overview of the different 'theoretical and empirical strands' that 'inform conceptual framework.'  The aim of this chapter is to help the researcher situate herself in order understand how she is orientating towards her chosen research topic.  They provide an excellent summary of a complicated topic.  An important distinction for me in navigating the complicated language and conflicting theories was as below:

Traditional qualitative research assumes

a) knowledge is not objective Truth but is produced intersubjectively

b) the researcher learns from participants in order to understand the meaning of their lives but should maintain a certain stance of neutrality

c) society is reasonably structure and is orderly

Main assumptions of all critiques of traditional qualitative research:

a) Research fundamentally involves power

b) Research is authored by a raced, gendered, classed, and political orientated individual

c) race, class and gender are crucial for understanding of experience

d) historically, traditionally research has silenced members of oppressed and marginalized groups

Traditional qualitative research was broken down into three genres: Ethnographic approach; Phenomenological approach; Sociolinguistic approach 

Critiques of the traditional qualitative research theories include: Narrative Analysis; Action Research and Participatory Action Research; Cultural Studies; Internet/Virtual Ethnography; Critical Ethnography; Feminist Theories and Methodologies; Critical Race Theory; Queer Theory and Analysis. 

Postmodern, postcolonial and post-positivist criticism of qualitative research genres has forced the researcher to consider the relationship between the knowledge, the knower and the one disseminating knowledge.  How can this help us as research novices?  It helps us (in a daunting way!) to realize there is no ‘wrong’ way of approaching research (to an extent), however, in order for your research to be worthwhile you need to explore not only the different genres, theories and approaches available to you but also your own world-view, identity and sense of self.  I’m not sure how to end with a question this week…perhaps we may consider what is more daunting – exploring the different research methodologies in detail, or exploring our own sense of self?