Tvisebrivi meTodebi socialur kvlevaSi - Center for Social Sciences

Week 6.
Case Study
Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour
Case study is the final method considered in terms of this course. As in the case of
participant observation, we will discuss this method during two week.
First we will focus on the history of this method, which was introduced in the social
sciences based on the experience of anthropologists. Experience of the Chicago School and
their role in establishing this method are also discussed.
Case studies are a lot in common with participant observation, but we consider the
former as an even broader research approach, rather than a single method of collecting the
data. As a multi-method approach, case studies employ a number of research techniques
that help the researchers to collect the data; what is particularly specific with case studies,
the methods used can be both qualitative and quantitative (e.g., surveys).
As an example of early case study research, we will discuss a study of the 1930s
conducted by Paul Lazarsfeld and his colleagues in the Austrian village of Marienthal. This
study is very interesting for us mainly from the methodological perspective, use of many
various techniques of data collection which are discussed in detail by the authors.
Since there is no single way to conduct case study research, and there are no clear
guidelines regarding site selection and data analysis, one of the best ways to learn about
this method is to introduce more examples. So, the second study we will discuss in detail in
this class is Mitchel Dunier’s Sidewalk, which is distinctive in a number of ways. We discuss
several aspects of this study: the research question and how it was formulated; its
theoretical context and how Dunier fit his study into the particular one; methodology used by
Dunier and, specifically, his relationships with the informants; use of photography in
presenting the findings.
Required readings for this week are:
Mitchel Dunier. 2001. Sidewalk. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux. Pp. 17-42, 231-
289.
James P. Spradley. 1979. The Ethnographic Interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston. Pp. 25-39 (“Informants”).
Recommended readings:
Robert K. Yin. 2002. Applications of Case Study Research. Second edition. Sage
Publications.
James P. Spradley. 1979. The Ethnographic Interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston. Pp. 55-68 (“Interviewing an Informant”).
Week 7.
Case Study (continued)
Discussion, 2 hours; students’ presentations, 2 hours
This week is focused on discussions. During the class, we will first discuss readings
from the Sidewalk, focusing on the specific ways of conducting fieldwork and building
relationships with informants.
In the second part of the class, the students will present their research projects focusing
on (a) their research questions; (b) sites; and (c) methodology they use to conduct the
fieldwork. This will be our final discussion of students’ research projects before they finish
and submit them.
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