Qualitative language research and analysis

¶ … language facilitates criticism and understanding? Why or Why not?

Qualitative language, that is language that is not quantifiable and thus dwells in the realm of the sort of academic criticism and research "that produces findings not arrived at by means of statistical procedures or other means of quantification," remains a critical mode of expression, even in areas of study of the social sciences where "hard data" is a must. (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13) "Where quantitative researchers seek causal determination, prediction, and generalization of findings, qualitative researchers seek instead illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to similar situations. Qualitative analysis results in a different type of knowledge than does quantitative inquiry. " (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13). But one must take precautions to make sure that the subjective nature of qualitative language does not impede, but rather facilitates understanding of a subject. To take just one example of how the qualitative association of words, can skew perceptions, note the recent debate in the American public discourse over eliminating the tax on estates. Proponents called the tax a 'death tax,' implying an unfair tax on death, while opponents of eliminating the tax called it an 'estate tax,' as estate has associations of wealth and family privilege.

Language thus can radically skew a debate, and the debate between quantitative and qualitative methodologies, as competing positions, persists. But it is also possible to lie with statistics, thus it is important to recognize the limitations of viewing quantitative and qualitative methods as completely different or competing approaches, and one as superior to the other. (Custer, 1996, p. 4). Ideally, the student of qualitative language as well as quantitative data must thus have a sound knowledge of the ways language can deployed to frame particular analytical and authorial biases to take advantage of the possible benefits of the use of qualitative language and research in an objective a manner as possible.

First of all, what is meant when we speak of qualitative language? Qualitative language is above descriptive, occasionally metaphorical, and always incorporating expressive language and the presence of a human voice in the text. As humans are responsive and reactive to environmental cues, so is human language. The possibility of including atypical or unexpected responses" to the world, as opposed to mechanically creating a choice between 'a or b' allows for greater creativity, flexibility, and instability in the range of expression and responses. (Hoepfl, 1997, p.13). An economist, for example, seeking to analyze the supply and demand curves of specific goods must understand why certain goods are subjectively as well as objectively perceived as being of higher quality, or of being 'perfect' or lesser substitutes for one another. To talk to people, he or she must also understand as well the ways people express themselves. But again, one must remember that it is easy to skew results of polls or studies, based upon biased language, as is intentionally done in many political polls by partisan organizations.

One of the major drawbacks to the use of qualitative research in the use of study for economists and scientists is that it "tends to rely more heavily on the ability of the researcher to facilitate what is essentially a three-way communication process among the human subjects, the researcher, and the researcher's audience" This places a major burden on the interpretive communication and writing processes of the investigator. (Sutton, 1993, p. 426)

However, even researchers striving for unbiased and hard data do not always have the recourse of objective, hard factual data. Consider a forensic investigation that involves querying bystanders about the same accident. The individual testimonies of the different people, all of whom saw the same little old lady slip on the sidewalk, will surely differ to some extent as to what happened and who was at fault. The investigator must interpret the validity of the different person's testimony and credibility from the language that the individuals use, just as much as when, in a much less frantic situation, one might compare the different responses of friends who all saw the same film. On some level, qualitative language analysis is part of life -- part of the critical skills of discrimination all individuals must deploy in life.