1st Edition

Routledge Revivals: The Dilemma of Qualitative Method (1989) Herbert Blumer and the Chicago Tradition

By Martyn Hammersley Copyright 1989
    284 Pages
    by Routledge

    284 Pages
    by Routledge

    Originally published in 1989, The Dilemma of Qualitative Method is a stimulating guide to the discussion of qualitative versus quantitative approaches to social research, originated in nineteenth-century debates about the relationship between the methods of history and natural science. One of the key theorists in this area was Chicago sociologist Herbert Blumer. The book analyses the historical context of the dispute and provides a detailed account and systematic analysis Blumer’s methodological writings including his doctoral thesis. The strategies for qualitative research advocated by Blumer within the Chicago tradition are reviewed and assessed.

    List of Figures

    Acknowledgements

    Introduction

    1. Philosophy and the Human Science in the Nineteenth Century

    2. Pragmatism

    3. Chicago Sociology

    4. Case Study versus Statistics: The Rise of Sociological Positivism

    5. Against the Trend: Blumer’s Critique of Quantitative Method

    6. Blumer’s Concept of Science

    7. Blumer’s Alternative: Naturalistic Research

    8. An Assessment of Naturalistic Research

    Notes

    References

    Name Index

    Subject Index

    Biography

    Martyn Hammersley