Cultural Psychology and Qualitative Methodology: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations (Path in Psychology)

Qualitative methodologies in cultural psychology often lack the objective and verifiable character of quantitative analysis. Author Carl Ratner corrects this shortcoming by rigorously systematizing qualitative methods. The book discusses, for example, means of systematizing such subjective reports as interviews, letters, and diaries, which often yield valuable data that is not easily quantified. Ratner argues that "complex psychological phenomena are expressed through extended responses" and hence are best studied by new, more regularized qualitative methods that go beyond measuring simple, overt responses.

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Reviews core epistemological and ontological principles and informs them with theory to develop techniques that can be used for elucidating the cultural aspects of psychology. Explains the positivistic method, details how qualitative methods can be refined to study cultural psychology, illustrates principles of qualitative methodology in the interpretation of behavior and verbal statements, and reconciles qualitative methodology with standard scientific methods. For researchers and students in the social sciences. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.