ABSTRACT
Before providing a preview of the chapters in the volume, this chapter provides an argument for the problem of connecting critical social theory and the analysis of qualitative data. While there are an increasing number of scholars who attempt to use critical social theories as a framework for this research, often there is a missing link between the social theory and the way in which qualitative data are analyzed. This missing link means that it is more difficult to connect the findings of qualitative studies to larger social issues because it is unclear how the data connect to theories and social issues. Additionally, the lack of connection between theory and analysis is one of the critiques about qualitative research that is asserted.
