Advanced qualitative methods: Life stories and Family case histories

【Description of Lecture (strictly within 40 words)】

As narrative techniques, life stories and family case histories constitute unique methods to collect information about people's (semi) autonomous courses of action; and thus to reconstruct changing systems of norms and values which orient ther courses of action in private and public spheres

1st weekIntroduction: intensive vs. extensive empirical methods. Narrative empirical techniques as ways to reconstruct past courses of action, in given situations and given contexts. How to focus narratives on situated and contextualised courses of action.

The three functions of life stories.

How to construct a sociologically-oriented family case history over three generations. Focus on social-occupational position(s) and positional resources. Bourdieu’s theory of family “capitals” (economic, cultural, social capital). But “capitals” are not things, they are resources…Focus on efforts of parents to pass them on; concept of “degree of transmissibility”.

Readings: Daniel Bertaux, Life Stories, translated in Japanese by Tazuko Kobayashi; Tokyo, Minervashobo, 2003 (the whole book, which is short. Focus on ch.1, ch.2 and ch.3)

Optional readings:

D. Bertaux and Catherine Delcroix: "Case Histories of Families and Social Processes: Enriching Sociology", pp. 71-89 in Prue Chamberlayne, Joanna Bornat and Tom Wengraf Eds, The Turn to Biographical Methods in Social Science: Comparative Issues and Examples, London, Routledge, 2000 (see also Michael Rustin, "Reflections on the Biographical Turn in Social Science", pp. 33 -52 in the same volume)

2nd weekThe ethnographic spirit. An example of a research project aiming at getting at the inner workings of a professional "social world": the artisanal bakery in France.

Readings: Daniel Bertaux and Isabelle Bertaux-Wiame: "Artisanal Bakery in France: How it Lives and Why it Survives", pp. 155-181 in Frank Bechhofer and Brian Elliott Eds, The Petite Bourgeoisie. Comparative Studies of the Uneasy Stratum, London, Palgrave MacMillan, 1981.

Optional: Martyn Hammersley and Paul Atkinson, Ethnography: Principles in Practice. London, Routledge. 3rd revised edition, 2007. Ch. 1 : "What is Ethnography ?"

3rd weekAnalysing life stories one at a time. Analysing one family case history: what is in a case?

Comparative analysis of life stories taken from persons from the same "social world", or finding themselves in the same "category of situation".

Readings: Daniel Bertaux, Life Stories, Japanese translation Minervashobo. Second reading, especially ch.4, ch.5, ch.6

Optional: Charles C. Ragin: "Introduction: Cases of "What is a Case ?" ", pp. 1-18 in Charles C. Ragin and Howard S. Becker : What is a Case ? Exploring the Foundations of Social Inquiry. Cambridge University Press, 1992.

 

4th weekShort presentations of family case histories collected by students (according to 1st week recommendations). Examples of first analytical steps: family resources, efforts towards transmissions. Local contexts imposing constraints and supplying opportunities. Identifying indices and issues to explore further.

Readings: Daniel Bertaux and Isabelle Bertaux-Wiame: "Heritage and its Lineage. A Case History of Transmission and Social Mobility over Five Generations", in Daniel Bertaux and Paul Thompson : Pathways to Social Class. A Qualitative Approach to Social Mobility, hardcover: Oxford (United Kingdom), Clarendon Press, 1997. Softcover: Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, USA, 2007. Pp. 62-97.