Across the world, there has been a surge of interest in the methodological tools used in qualitative research in the social sciences. This is particularly so in the developing world, where academic research continues to be guided by research methods developed in a Euro-American context.
In India, especially, recent political, social and ideological upheavals have led to new ways of understanding states and society. Have the horizons of knowledge creation expanded? What are the new texts that have emerged, and how many find place in classrooms? How useful are they in the context of the developing world?
Revisiting Qualitative Methods in Social Science Research highlights a variety of qualitative methods of research—such as gathering data from folk songs and conducting focus group discussions with village women—that have emerged in India. Such methods, the authors argue, make visible hitherto unseen issues and give voice to the voiceless—both imperative in contexts such as ours. The book also highlights the methods used to research specific areas such as caste, one of the distinctive features of this volume.
The chapters detail novel methods such as unobtrusive research, mobile methods and contingent behaviour, and where these can be used, citing examples not only from India, but also from other countries like Malaysia and Botswana.
Bonita Aleaz is former Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Calcutta, Kolkata.
Partha Pratim Basu is Professor, Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
Introduction Re-conceptualising Qualitative Social Science Research Bonita Aleaz and Partha Pratim Basu
1. Ideas and Concerns in Doing Social Science Research: An Overview of its Development through Time Surajit C. Mukhopadhyay
2. The Methodological Journey of Political Science: An Overview Sobhanlal Datta Gupta
3. The New Qualitative Turn: Mobilities, Unobtrusiveness and Grounded Theory Bonita Aleaz
4. Discourse Analysis Partha Pratim Basu
5. Queer Political Scrutinies and Other Ruminations: Methodologies, Methods and Complexities in Qualitative Research among Non-Heteronormative Men in Malaysia Joseph N. Goh
6. Field Research for the ‘Present’ as Collaboration among Fragments and Differences: A Journey within, Across, In-between and Beyond the Boundaries Arnab Das, Suman Nath and Suman Hazra
7. Participant Observation: Revisiting Other Cultures Sushmita Gonsalves
8. Case Study Methodology Kaberi Chakrabarti
9. Oral History for the Qualitative Researcher: From Modern Method to Decolonial Device Srilata Sircar
10. Investigating Caste and Dalit Marginality Perspectives and Methods Debi Chatterjee
11. The Epistemological and Methodological Assumptions in Feminist Research Sudarshana Sen
12. International Relations Epistemology, Ontology and Methods Shibashis Chatterjee
13. North–South Collaboration Comparative Experiences of Participation, Action and Research Sidsel Saugestad
Notes on Contributors Index