Roles of Theory Last Week, You Analyzed

¶ … Roles of Theory

Last week, you analyzed how theory relates to the qualitative approach. This week, you will continue to examine the various roles that theory plays in a research study. For this Discussion, you will explore the relationship between theory and methodology.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the readings for this week.

Consider what you learned about the relationship and alignment between theory and qualitative approach last week.

Review the articles you have selected for your literature review. This week, analyze them for the alignment between theory and methods used in the study. How do the authors align and justify the methods used for the study?

What are the different roles of theory in the articles? Is theory used as a general guide for the study? Is theory applied in a specific fashion in the study as evidenced in the methodology? Or both?

Based on what you have learned, what are the roles of theory in qualitative research, and how are they similar and different?

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 3 a response of 2 -- 3 paragraphs in which you compare and contrast the roles of theory in qualitative research.

When appropriate, be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the reading(s) and/or video program(s), using APA format.

My Response:

The relationship and alignment between theory and the qualitative approach

Qualitative research uses a fundamentally inductive approach to theory. Even the most rigorous forms of grounded, qualitative research begin with the accumulation of data and then form a theory based upon an analysis of interview responses and other forms of subject input. This was the case with Abas (et al. 2013), who first interviewed and questioned victims of trafficking in Moldova and then derived a context-specific theory in relation to that information. In qualitative research, ultimately the theory is used as a general guide with which to view human experience. Experience is always prioritized over theory.

Qualitative research is also more specific and judicious in the applications of the theory than is quantitative research. Abas (et al. 2013) and Duong (2012) specifically focus on singular countries in their studies. Rather than creating a general theory that is universally applicable to human trafficking, they began with the supposition that trafficking can manifest itself in very different ways, depending on the nation and specific economic and political factors. The main 'theory' behind this proposition is the value of multiculturalism. Of all three articles, the only article which could be said to show any strong emphasis on theory is Duong (2012)'s gender-based analysis of how the Vietnamese government's response to trafficking has been strongly influenced by the fact that the majority of victims are presumed to be female. Duong uses a feminist analysis, presuming that gender is a useful construct with which to view both trafficking and political responses to trafficking.