Wolfe and Qualitative Research

[Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema]

Problem is, I don't know what he asked, or what his approach was to interviewing.
I'm not a researcher, but I interview people all the time at work, and I know
that's important. However, touching on that issue was mostly in response to your
earlier question. What I find questionable about Wolfe is that he seems to use his
subjects as a sort of cheering section for his own punitive views about public
morality and attitudes towards poor people. This is antithetical to what you
describe as the essence of ethnographic research. I've read Luker's books, and she
seems to make a clearer distinction. So too Mary Waters on ethnicity, who I read
some years ago when one of my interns had to read it for a course. Maybe you know
her.
Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema

Kelley Walker wrote:


> At 05:32 PM 4/16/01 -0400, Christopher Rhoades Dÿkema wrote:
> >You are more of a researcher than I am so probably have a better of what a
> >"typical methods  chapter" ought to include than I do. Wolfe's first chapter,
> >after a discussion of general issues, does present data as to the
> >locations where
> >his interviews took place, and the broad demographic characteristics of the
> >subjects. However, as Doug's review points out, he is vague about his
> >interview
> >protocol, what he asked how he formulated his and his assistants'
> >approach. ONe
> >of them, one Maria Poarch, seems to have lived for periods of time in the
> >communities.
>
> arlie hochschild's work is cited here frequently as good work. she
> interviewed far less than wolfe. she interviewed about 3 black couples out
> about 60 couples. and yet, she makes the same sort of claims, generalizing
> her findings to all married couples.  funny, but we buy her arguments. she
> used the same methods, somewhat different methodology and, obviously, a
> different theoretical orientation.
>
> kristen luker's study on abortion attitudes among conservative women... no
> different. it has been mentioned here frequently.  Jay MacLeod's Ain't No
> Makin It has become a classic in sociology intro and social problems
> courses.  all of these books interview even smaller groups of people.
>
> none of these books provide a "protocol" that y'all seem to want.  that's
> because it isn't typical to do that. it's typical to do pretty much what
> Wolfe does.  occ. some do, and they're mainly dissertations turned into books.
>
> kelley