Reflective Reading Log #1

Reading Log #1: Creswell, Ch. 5

Summary
In chapter 5, Creswell reviews several qualitative studies, one from each of five categories: biographical narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study. The chapter itself consists primarily of summaries of each study, but each summary is followed by a clear description of the hallmarks of the particular methodological approach. Creswell uses these hallmarks to draw the reader’s attention to specific statements made or actions taken by the study author(s) that illustrate how their approaches to their respective studies, their statements about their own intentions, and their work with the data they collected clearly categorized their work within one of these five main categories of qualitative research. Creswell concludes the chapter with an overview of the differences among the approaches exemplified by the articles.

The studies, included in their entirety as appendices, are useful for understanding the methodological approaches Creswell describes in detail in the preceding chapter. By providing these examples, the author allows readers to see examples of the characteristics he has identified as important for each approach. Whereas chapter 4 described in detail the challenges, characteristics, and reporting structures of each of the approaches, chapter 5 makes those concepts much more relatable. In addition to elucidating the principles Creswell conveys, the studies prompt readers to consider the value of each approach in learning about people and issues.

Reflection
I have to say it—I’m a bit of a Creswell convert. My experience with his quantitative research book was somewhat less than enjoyable; as a result, I figured the qualitative book would be equally painful to slog my way through. The beginning of the text is so self-referential (“I, Creswell!”) that I had resigned myself to a bumpy ride. Then I made it to chapters 4 and 5, and I am pleasantly surprised by how much I am enjoying Creswell’s introduction to these five approaches to qualitative research. Part of this enjoyment is likely due to my interest in learning more about this type of research, but part of it is that the author gives enough information to clearly describe the approaches without giving so much detail that it becomes confusing.

Chapter 5 in particular was enlightening for me because of the example studies. I was struck with the impression that qualitative research is deeply about understanding, whether the subject is an important aspect of the life of an individual, the essence of a phenomenon as experienced by several individuals, a theory about how certain individuals have dealt with a difficult issue, a clearer picture of a cultural group, or the action (or reactions) of a community regarding a critical event. In every case, I saw the capacity of this kind of research for providing meaningful insight. While I love the power of quantitative research as it examines trends and relationships, qualitative research is powerful in a very different way. Each approach seeks a particular sort of understanding, but all of these approaches validate the importance of the individual—alone or in community. At the risk of sounding overly poetic, I find that emphasis quite beautiful. It underscores the centrality of the person, acting with and acted upon by other individuals within an enigmatic social system and a complex physical world.

My study for this course will use the phenomenological approach as I look at student experiences with a voluntary study abroad experience in a developing country. I was fairly certain that this was the right fit for my interests, but reading the phenomenological study confirmed that I had chosen appropriately. As I read the other sample studies in this chapter, I realized that I was asking myself, “Could this have been approached phenomenologically?” I thought the grounded theory study regarding survivors of childhood sexual abuse could certainly have been reframed as a phenomenological question, as could the case study. I suppose the ethnographic study might also have been approached phenomenologically if the author (who, by the way, I thought was far too involved in the culture to be writing about it) had perhaps spoken with several members of the sXe movement to ask about their experiences with a particular event or transition point. While these studies were well-suited to the approaches used by their respective authors, I enjoyed examining them through my newly acquired phenomenological lens.

I’m excited about the next few chapters of the Creswell text as they move into the nuts and bolts of designing and conducting a study. While this kind of research will be a challenge for me (queen of the introverts), I think I’ll really enjoy it. I anticipate good days ahead with my new buddy Creswell!