Case Studies

Question 1

Case Studies overview

Answer 1

Favoured by interpretivists → yield qualitative data.

Case study: in-depth investigation of a single example (e.g., Willis’s study of counter-school subcultures).

Question 2

Life Histories Overview

Answer 2

Favoured by interpretivists → yield qualitative data.

Life history: looks at the life of an individual or small group using unstructured interviews and personal documents (diaries, letters).

Question 3

Advantages

Answer 3

Useful for testing wider theories.

Generate new hypotheses or complement other research.

Provide valid, in-depth understanding from the perspective of the participant.

Capture nuance and detail that positivist methods (e.g., surveys) may miss.

Question 4

Disadvantages

Answer 4

Not representative → cannot generalise findings.

May lack validity → e.g., life histories can misremember past events.