ABSTRACT
Qualitative research has a long tradition in social research. However, debates about the
validity and reliability of qualitative approaches to comprehend the complexity of
social experience are still current (Shaffir and Stebbins 1991; Bernard 1995). Recent
shifts in theoretical paradigms have challenged the entire basis of the ability of a
qualitative researcher to make generalizing claims concerning subjects (Agar 1980,
1986; Clifford and Marcus 1986). In response to these critiques, we advocate a process
of qualitative research where the research subjects are allowed to reflect on their
internal understandings and meanings through dialogue with the researcher
throughout the research process. The researcher’s observations connect the macro-
level influence of the structure of society and the process of culture on the micro-level
experiences of individuals. All social experiences occur in a sociological tension
between wider social forces and the individual’s actual daily life. The strength of
ethnographic research is in understanding cultural and social processes from the
viewpoint of participants and the meaning they give to those processes. In response to
the detractors of qualitative research paradigms, we would maintain that the best way
to explore meaning construction is through a rigorous process of observation and
ethnographic interview.
