Douglas Ezzy
University of Tasmania, Sociology, Faculty Member
‘Religions of practice’ are religions that prioritize ritual practice, with little concern for creeds and belief. In these religions, ethical obligations are communicated through ritual practices and aesthetic responses to symbols. Some... more
‘Religions of practice’ are religions that prioritize ritual practice, with little concern for creeds and belief. In these religions, ethical obligations are communicated through ritual practices and aesthetic responses to symbols. Some theories of religion characterize ritual practice and religious aesthetics as secondary outcomes of religious belief. Such characterizations misunderstand the significance of religious ritual practice. A neo-Durkheimian theory of religion that examines ritual practice alongside belief provides a more sophisticated understanding of religious experience. A range of ethnographies of Japanese religions are reviewed to illustrate the argument. Aesthetics and ritual performance are central to many Japanese religions. These generate a strong sense of relational and communal entwinement and are associated with an ambivalent or pluralistic moral ontology.
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Religious symbols are primarily significant because they draw people into relationships. Drawing on actor-network theory the paper demonstrates that symbols are hybrids of beliefs, cognitive interpretations, ritual performances and... more
Religious symbols are primarily significant because they draw people into relationships. Drawing on actor-network theory the paper demonstrates that symbols are hybrids of beliefs, cognitive interpretations, ritual performances and relational networks. The significance of symbols is located in this middle ground, as they mediate between thought and action, as well as between interpretative meaning and relational practice. Aesthetic experiences and ritual performance are interwoven with cognitive meaning and representation to generate the impact of religious symbols. This understanding of symbols is illustrated through an ethnographic account of a Pagan ritual involving the deity Baphomet. One of the participants describes this ritual succinctly: ‘Baphomet is a recreation of the Witches’ sabbat, an invocation of archetypal Witchcraft. It's R-rated, it contains adult themes, nudity and sex references.’ Through ritual experiences, religious symbols change the way people feel about themselves, the world and the people around them.
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Life threatening illness, such as HIV/AIDS, also threaten people's sense of identity and taken-for-granted assumptions about the temporal framing of their lives. In response, people often experience transformations in values, spirituality... more
Life threatening illness, such as HIV/AIDS, also threaten people's sense of identity and taken-for-granted assumptions about the temporal framing of their lives. In response, people often experience transformations in values, spirituality and life priorities. Drawing on a combined quantitative and qualitative study of people living with HIV/AIDS in Australia, three different narratives that people use to make sense of their illness experience are identified: linear restitution narratives, linear chaotic narratives and polyphonic narratives. Linear illness narratives colonise the future, assuming that the future can be controlled through human action. They emphasise a faith in medical science, tend to be secular and self-centred and assume the end of life to be in the distant future. Hope is focused on concrete outcomes such as improved health or material possessions. Linear narratives can be either restitutive or chaotic. Restitutive linear narratives anticipate a life that will mirror the narrative. Chaotic linear narratives anticipate a life that will fail to meet the linear ideal resulting in despair and depression. In contrast, polyphonic illness narratives are oriented toward the present, emphasising the unpredictability of the future. These narratives tend to include spiritual experiences, a communally oriented value system, and to recount increased self-understanding and the gaining of new insights as a consequence of their illness. Hope in polyphonic narratives is more abstract and focused on a celebration of mystery, surprise and creativity.
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Abstract The article argues that the emotional framing of interviews plays a major role in shaping the content of interviews. Drawing on the psychoanalytic theory of Jessica Benjamin and Luce Irigaray, the article describes how interviews... more
Abstract The article argues that the emotional framing of interviews plays a major role in shaping the content of interviews. Drawing on the psychoanalytic theory of Jessica Benjamin and Luce Irigaray, the article describes how interviews can be experienced as either conquest or communion. Qualitative researchers typically focus on the cognitively articulated aspects of the interview and elide the significance of their own and the interviewee's, emotions. A reanalysis of two previous qualitative interview studies is used to illustrate the ...
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Surely religion has little to say of significance about the environment? That is a central argument of this chapter. However, it is only half the story, and the opening sentence may not have quite the meaning that you think. It is the... more
Surely religion has little to say of significance about the environment? That is a central argument of this chapter. However, it is only half the story, and the opening sentence may not have quite the meaning that you think. It is the Christian tradition and its secularised descendant 'consumerist capitalism'that are the religious traditions that have typically devalued the natural world by ignoring it.
Ritual provides an etiquette of relating to, thinking through, and emotionally responding to events and experiences that are otherwise difficult to deal with. Rituals work through embodied performances that are bound up with cultures of... more
Ritual provides an etiquette of relating to, thinking through, and emotionally responding to events and experiences that are otherwise difficult to deal with. Rituals work through embodied performances that are bound up with cultures of cognitive and somatic knowing. Ritual experiences allow participants to develop life-enhancing responses to some of the central challenges of contemporary life.
Abstract Cities inscribe on the earth a text of human being-in-the world. They contain, repress, facilitate, control and decimate nature. Put another way, the geography of our being-in-the world profoundly shapes human experience of... more
Abstract Cities inscribe on the earth a text of human being-in-the world. They contain, repress, facilitate, control and decimate nature. Put another way, the geography of our being-in-the world profoundly shapes human experience of nature. This article proceeds through a dialogue between my own mystical experiences in nature. and a rereading of Levinas. s account of face-to-face relations with the Other through which I argue that nature can be understood as Other. However, beyond a romanticised conception of nature as ...
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Drawing on interviews with 90 young people who have become Witches, we explore the visual media's influence on identity formation and maintenance. Witchcraft is a late modern religion that is highly individualistic and many young people... more
Drawing on interviews with 90 young people who have become Witches, we explore the visual media's influence on identity formation and maintenance. Witchcraft is a late modern religion that is highly individualistic and many young people report they have become a Witch without any interaction with other Witches. The rapid growth of interest in this religion among the young since The Craft was first shown provides an important example of the mass media's role in formation of contemporary religious identity. We argue that representations of Witchcraft in the visual mass media (along with other cultural trends such as environmentalism, feminism, and individualism) and cultural resources such as books, Internet sites, and magazines provide a mediated form of social interaction that sustains the plausibility of Witchcraft as a religion. It also helps the young to develop and legitimate their beliefs and practices and develop their Witchcraft persona.
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In Teenage Witches, Helen Berger and Douglas Ezzy examine the social organization of young Witches in the United States, England and Australia and explore how they define themselves and their religion. Using personal interviews conducted... more
In Teenage Witches, Helen Berger and Douglas Ezzy examine the social organization of young Witches in the United States, England and Australia and explore how they define themselves and their religion. Using personal interviews conducted by the two authors, the book provides an overview of the Witches' beliefs, practices, and how they form connections with other Witches and Pagans both near and far.
Narrative analysis builds on the strengths of qualitative research by examining the construction of meaning and symbolic systems in a framework that is explicitly temporal and that links research in the humanities with that in the social... more
Narrative analysis builds on the strengths of qualitative research by examining the construction of meaning and symbolic systems in a framework that is explicitly temporal and that links research in the humanities with that in the social sciences. Qualitative methodologies often assume reported data accurately reflects the realities of lived experience. On the other hand some research drawing on cultural studies argues that the “facts” of a person's life are irrelevant. This paper argues for a middle way based on ...
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This is, to quote the sub-sub-title: 'A Collection to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the British Association for the Study of Religions'. It is drawn from occasional papers published by the Association since 1991 and provides a good... more
This is, to quote the sub-sub-title: 'A Collection to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the British Association for the Study of Religions'. It is drawn from occasional papers published by the Association since 1991 and provides a good indicator of the high-quality research conducted by members of the Association. The book is split into two sections. Chapters 1–7 cover 'Category and Method', Chapters 8–15 are empirical case studies. Although predominantly focusing on the UK, one third of the authors are from Europe and Africa.
Ezzy review continued: identities are structured through a psycho-spiritual interaction with the otherworld, rather than constructed from social discourses of the ordinary world”(p. 118).“I suggest that most people become involved with... more
Ezzy review continued: identities are structured through a psycho-spiritual interaction with the otherworld, rather than constructed from social discourses of the ordinary world”(p. 118).“I suggest that most people become involved with magic because it is associated with the acquisition of power”(p. 135).“Only feminist witchcraft offers a practical political model for women's empowerment in the socio-economic world”(p. 177).
This book is a good general introduction to the logic of survey research in the social sciences. However, the title is somewhat deceptive, as the main focus of the book is quantitative research with one chapter providing a very brief... more
This book is a good general introduction to the logic of survey research in the social sciences. However, the title is somewhat deceptive, as the main focus of the book is quantitative research with one chapter providing a very brief introduction to qualitative research. The book is divided into three main sections: research design, data collection, and analysis and interpretation.
1 Executive Summary The HIV Futures Survey draws together the largest sample of people with HIV/AIDS to have been surveyed in Australia. The survey was conducted from 1 July 1997 to 5 September 1997. The 925 respondents represents over... more
1 Executive Summary The HIV Futures Survey draws together the largest sample of people with HIV/AIDS to have been surveyed in Australia. The survey was conducted from 1 July 1997 to 5 September 1997. The 925 respondents represents over eight percent of the current population of PLWHA in Australia. While a substantial number of the participants are gay men living in Sydney, the survey includes significant numbers of PLWHA from smaller sub-populations such as women, and people living outside NSW and Victoria.
(311). It is Conner's admittedly naive presumption of a queer “community” within African Diasporic traditions and his in-text admission of being frequently “disheartened” and “surprised” when matters on the ground did not match his... more
(311). It is Conner's admittedly naive presumption of a queer “community” within African Diasporic traditions and his in-text admission of being frequently “disheartened” and “surprised” when matters on the ground did not match his hypothesis that weaken a potentially very important and necessary study.
Page 1. LTBS Workers Compensation Research Quantitative Report for Phase 1 For the WorkCover Tasmania Board School of Sociology and Social Work University of Tasmania June 2008 Assoc. Prof Douglas Ezzy Dr Maggie Walter Dr Allan Welch Page... more
Page 1. LTBS Workers Compensation Research Quantitative Report for Phase 1 For the WorkCover Tasmania Board School of Sociology and Social Work University of Tasmania June 2008 Assoc. Prof Douglas Ezzy Dr Maggie Walter Dr Allan Welch Page 2.
Abstract This article argues that some Satanic theodicies used by Christians to explain experiences of suffering can also encourage young people to engage in Satanic tourism. Popular and religious explanations often blame Satan, and... more
Abstract This article argues that some Satanic theodicies used by Christians to explain experiences of suffering can also encourage young people to engage in Satanic tourism. Popular and religious explanations often blame Satan, and Satanic cults, for the rebellious behaviour of teenage Satanists. A number of sociological studies have suggested that Satanic symbols and imagery are secondary overlays and that poverty and social exclusion are the primary sources of adolescent Satanism.
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Abstract Witchcraft is often described as a 'nature religion'that is attractive because of its environmentally oriented mythology. This article examines the popular literature of contemporary Witchcraft to identify the extent to... more
Abstract Witchcraft is often described as a 'nature religion'that is attractive because of its environmentally oriented mythology. This article examines the popular literature of contemporary Witchcraft to identify the extent to which Witchcraft reflects a substantial change from the dominant Western anthropocentric orientation to the other-than-human environment. I examine the rituals and worldviews in popular Witchcraft texts by Vivianne Crowley, Janet and Stewart Farrar, Scott Cunningham and Starhawk. I argue that there is ...
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A fair number of books, both scholarly and semi-scholarly, provide overviews of modern Paganism. Sabina Magliocco's Witching Culture is the best survey to date, particularly if the focus of one's interest is North American... more
A fair number of books, both scholarly and semi-scholarly, provide overviews of modern Paganism. Sabina Magliocco's Witching Culture is the best survey to date, particularly if the focus of one's interest is North American Paganism. In fact, it would be my first choice for a textbook in any university class with a significant component on contemporary Paganism. In addition to being a useful survey, Witching Culturealso breaks important new ground in Pagan Studies. In fact, I anticipate that in the near future it will come to be regarded as a ...
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A fair number of books, both scholarly and semi-scholarly, provide overviews of modern Paganism. Sabina Magliocco's Witching Culture is the best survey to date, particularly if the focus of one's interest is North American... more
A fair number of books, both scholarly and semi-scholarly, provide overviews of modern Paganism. Sabina Magliocco's Witching Culture is the best survey to date, particularly if the focus of one's interest is North American Paganism. In fact, it would be my first choice for a textbook in any university class with a significant component on contemporary Paganism. In addition to being a useful survey, Witching Culturealso breaks important new ground in Pagan Studies. In fact, I anticipate that in the near future it will come to be regarded as a ...
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The selections from Diane Purkiss's The Witch in History are taken from the beginning and end of her 280-page book, and this makes for disjointed reading. I have not read the whole book from which it is selected, but perhaps there... more
The selections from Diane Purkiss's The Witch in History are taken from the beginning and end of her 280-page book, and this makes for disjointed reading. I have not read the whole book from which it is selected, but perhaps there she resolves some of the apparent contradictions in the selections that in one paragraph appears to be criticising feminist Witches as romantic myth makers, and then in the next celebrates the Witch as a valuable contemporary figure. Marion Bowman's commissioned chapter on 'Contemporary Celtic ...
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Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, Vol 11, No 2 (2009). ...
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Through a detailed analysis of a Guild Day ceremony in early modern England we demonstrate that liminal points in this ritual are interrelated to form a “pattern” or “dance” of liminal pulsations. We argue it is the felt necessity, on the... more
Through a detailed analysis of a Guild Day ceremony in early modern England we demonstrate that liminal points in this ritual are interrelated to form a “pattern” or “dance” of liminal pulsations. We argue it is the felt necessity, on the part of participants, to complete that pattern that provides a dynamic to any ritual event. It impels participants to continue the ritual to its conclusion and leads them to resist any interference with the “flow” of the ritual. “Flow”, we assert, is thus both an interior state of participants and an exterior social characteristic of a ritual. It is created by the structuring of liminal points in a ritual, the liminal pulsations, but it achieves its dynamic by affecting the interior states of participants so that they feel impelled to “close off” the ritual and complete it.
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Abstract Previous research on comorbidity among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has focused on the consequences for disease progression. The research reported here examines the broader public health implications of comorbidity. A... more
Abstract Previous research on comorbidity among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has focused on the consequences for disease progression. The research reported here examines the broader public health implications of comorbidity. A sample of 925 Australian PLWHA completed a self-administered questionnaire. Comorbid conditions were reported by 28% of respondents. The most common conditions included hepatitis C, psychological/psychiatric conditions, cardiovascular disease, and lung conditions. In addition, 27% of ...
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What is white Witchcraft and how is it different to black magic? The books and practices of the purveyors of white Witchcraft are examined alongside other popular Witches oriented toward consumerism. White Witchcraft is also compared to... more
What is white Witchcraft and how is it different to black magic? The books and practices of the purveyors of white Witchcraft are examined alongside other popular Witches oriented toward consumerism. White Witchcraft is also compared to traditional Witchcraft. I argue that white Witchcraft is a marketing label for a type of Witchcraft consistent with consumer Capitalism. White Witchcraft emphasises growth and success eliding the understanding of loss, death, and the dark that is found in traditional Witchcraft. White Witchcraft also ...
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Witchcraft is entering mainstream culture through movies, magazines, websites, novels, and spell books. This paper examines a small number of popular spell books to investigate the effects of popularisation on the beliefs and practices of... more
Witchcraft is entering mainstream culture through movies, magazines, websites, novels, and spell books. This paper examines a small number of popular spell books to investigate the effects of popularisation on the beliefs and practices of Witchcraft. I interrogate the debate about Witchcraft's relationship to the New Age to identify characteristics that might be present in a popularised Witchcraft. The characteristics include: the self-ethic, a this-worldly orientation, holism, evolutionary development and ephemeral participation. I argue that ...
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While sociologists have emphasized the social sources of autobiographical narratives, there has been relatively little sociological reflection on the way that autobiographers themselves make selective use of accounts of social forces and... more
While sociologists have emphasized the social sources of autobiographical narratives, there has been relatively little sociological reflection on the way that autobiographers themselves make selective use of accounts of social forces and pressures to explain their actions. This paper examines the way individuals' use of social pressures as explanations of their behavior are related to the structure of autobiographical narratives as a whole. The paper draws on empirical examples from interviews with people who are unemployed. Focusing ...
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Abstract Two central unresolved problems in labour process theory are the disjuncture between structure and agency and the problem of what constitutesgood'work. This paper argues that a hermeneutic conception of the self as... more
Abstract Two central unresolved problems in labour process theory are the disjuncture between structure and agency and the problem of what constitutesgood'work. This paper argues that a hermeneutic conception of the self as constructed through narrative provides a resolution to these two issues. Hermeneutics conceptualises the self as neither a solitary entity impervious to the influence of others, nor as a mere reflection of objective structures ordiscourses of power'. Rather, in the process of self-interpretation a person uses socially ...
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The research reported here is of a study of the psychosocial impact of living with HIV/AIDS in Australia focusing on employment, accommodation and income in the environment of new treatments for HIV/AIDS. Many people experience profound... more
The research reported here is of a study of the psychosocial impact of living with HIV/AIDS in Australia focusing on employment, accommodation and income in the environment of new treatments for HIV/AIDS. Many people experience profound changes to their lifestyle as a result of living with HIV/AIDS. In addition to detrimental changes in their health, many people experience major changes in their employment, accommodation, finances and relationships. The research highlights the significance of psychosocial factors along with changes in physical health in shaping PLWHAs (People Living with HIV/AIDS) changes in employment and accommodations. The new treatments now available for HIV/AIDS are further transforming people's attitudes, with many PLWHA considering returning to employment.
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Abstract This paper focuses on the cultural and social consequences of the new forms of work organisation variously described as engineered workplace culture, flexibilisation, teamwork, employee involvement, quality circles and... more
Abstract This paper focuses on the cultural and social consequences of the new forms of work organisation variously described as engineered workplace culture, flexibilisation, teamwork, employee involvement, quality circles and post-Fordism. Some celebrate the new form of worker this creates as a consumer of organisationally provided meanings. However, the choices are quite limited for workers in engineered cultures, and for the self-discovering subjects of consumer capitalism more generally. The language, norms and values of ...
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A national survey of 925 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Australia is used to examine the relationship between disease progression, employment status, poverty and economic hardship. While disease progression has some impact on... more
A national survey of 925 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Australia is used to examine the relationship between disease progression, employment status, poverty and economic hardship. While disease progression has some impact on economic hardship, employment status is found to be the strongest determinant of both poverty and economic hardship. The most commonly cited reasons for leaving work were psychosocial (71%), with declining health cited by half of respondents. It is therefore argued that psychosocial issues are at least as important as changes in health in causing unemployment and therefore poverty and economic hardship among PLWHA in Australia.
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Qualitative research methods are increasingly utilised by health researchers. Along with this the criteria for assessing the quality of qualitative research are changing from a natural science model to an interpretative social science... more
Qualitative research methods are increasingly utilised by health researchers. Along with this the criteria for assessing the quality of qualitative research are changing from a natural science model to an interpretative social science model. This is a product of the realisation by health researchers that qualitative methods utilise a different epistemology to statistical methods. I demonstrate that a recent article in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health draws on a now outdated natural science methodology of assessing bias in focus groups. Drawing on interpretativist social science theory and recent work in the British Medical Journal I argue for the importance of examining the social contexts through which qualitative data is produced.
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This article argues for a synthesis of George Herbert Mead's conception of the temporal and intersubjective nature of the self with Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic theory of narrative identity. Combining the insights of Ricoeur's philosophical... more
This article argues for a synthesis of George Herbert Mead's conception of the temporal and intersubjective nature of the self with Paul Ricoeur's hermeneutic theory of narrative identity. Combining the insights of Ricoeur's philosophical analysis with Mead's social-psychological orientation provides a subtle, sophisticated, and potent explanation of self-identity. A narrative conception of identity implies that subjectivity is neither a philosophical illusion nor an impermeable substance. Rather, a narrative identity provides a subjective sense of self-continuity as it symbolically integrates the events of lived experience in the plot of the story a person tells about his or her life. The utility of this conception of identity is illustrated through a rereading of Erving Goffman's study of the experience of mental patients. This example underlines the social sources of the self-concept and the role of power and politics in the construction of narrative identities.
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This is, to quote the sub-sub-title: 'A Collection to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the British Association for the Study of Religions'. It is drawn from occasional papers published by the Association since 1991 and provides a... more
This is, to quote the sub-sub-title: 'A Collection to Mark the 50th Anniversary of the British Association for the Study of Religions'. It is drawn from occasional papers published by the Association since 1991 and provides a good indicator of the high-quality research conducted by members of the Association. The book is split into two sections. Chapters 1–7 cover 'Category and Method', Chapters 8–15 are empirical case studies. Although predominantly focusing on the UK, one third of the authors are from Europe and Africa. I found the first half of the book engaging, as many of ...
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Table of contents (PDF) of a double issue of The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies, vol. 17 (2015), including a special section, "Paths into Pagan Studies: Autobiographical Reflections," guest-edited by Doug Ezzy.
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Reinventing Church is a story of hope in the context of change, loss, and sadness. Four Anglican communities of faith in Tasmania, Australia (New Norfolk, Channel/Cygnet, St Helens, and Hamilton) faced long-standing decline and the... more
Reinventing Church is a story of hope in the context of change, loss, and sadness. Four Anglican communities of faith in Tasmania, Australia (New Norfolk, Channel/Cygnet, St Helens, and Hamilton) faced long-standing decline and the possibility of closure. Instead, they chose to adopt a new type of ministry called “Enabler Supported Ministry” where local Christians voluntarily take on the work of parish ministry. In so doing, they forged a new future for themselves. This study is unique in revealing a hopeful alternative to the story of decline common to many Christian parishes in Australia, both rural and urban, and from all denominations. Something different, positive and healthy can be created for both the parish and the wider community. This is a story of how choosing and implementing a different model of being church produced hope.
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A popular new image of Witches has arisen in recent years, due largely to movies like The Craft, Practical Magic, and Simply Irresistible and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Charmed. Here,... more
A popular new image of Witches has arisen in recent years, due largely to movies like The Craft, Practical Magic, and Simply Irresistible and television shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Charmed. Here, young sexy Witches use magic and Witchcraft to gain control over their lives and fight evil. Then there is the depiction in the Harry Potter books: Witchcraft is a gift that unenlightened Muggles (everyday people) lack. In both types of portrayals, being a Witch is akin to being a superhero.
Qualitative Analysis offers a detailed introduction to the practice of data analysis that is both user-friendly and theoretically grounded. Drawing on his extensive experience of qualitative research, Douglas Ezzy reviews approaches to... more
Qualitative Analysis offers a detailed introduction to the practice of data analysis that is both user-friendly and theoretically grounded.
Drawing on his extensive experience of qualitative research, Douglas Ezzy reviews approaches to data analysis in established research traditions including ethnography, phenomenology and symbolic interactionism, alongside the newer approaches informed by cultural studies and feminism. He explains the difference between inductive, deductive and abductive theory building, provides a guide to computer-assisted analysis and outlines techniques such as journal writing, team meetings and participant reviews.
At the heart of insightful qualitative research is a dialogue between tradition and innovation, ideas and observations, theory and data, and interpretation and action. Ezzy explains how to engage in this dialogue by choosing methods of data analysis to suit the research project, adapting these methods as needed.
Qualitative Analysis is a valuable reference for research students and for professional researchers in the social sciences and health.
Drawing on his extensive experience of qualitative research, Douglas Ezzy reviews approaches to data analysis in established research traditions including ethnography, phenomenology and symbolic interactionism, alongside the newer approaches informed by cultural studies and feminism. He explains the difference between inductive, deductive and abductive theory building, provides a guide to computer-assisted analysis and outlines techniques such as journal writing, team meetings and participant reviews.
At the heart of insightful qualitative research is a dialogue between tradition and innovation, ideas and observations, theory and data, and interpretation and action. Ezzy explains how to engage in this dialogue by choosing methods of data analysis to suit the research project, adapting these methods as needed.
Qualitative Analysis is a valuable reference for research students and for professional researchers in the social sciences and health.
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Responses to unemployment vary from depression, through stoic acceptance to celebration. The primary aim and original contribution of this book is to provide a sociological explanation for these variations. This study focuses on the... more
Responses to unemployment vary from depression, through stoic acceptance to celebration. The primary aim and original contribution of this book is to provide a sociological explanation for these variations. This study focuses on the experience of unemployment as a consequence of losing a job. The different effects of unemployment are analyzed as a product of the different types of stories people tell. Drawing on the traditions of symbolic interactionism and hermeneutics, this text uses a narrative conception of self-identity to analyze people's stories about unemployment. This book examines the processes that allow some people to tell stories of hope and confidence about their unemployment, and lead others to tell stories of pain, loss and despair.
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Qualitative Research Methods: A Health Focus is a practical guide to conducting qualitative research, with an emphasis on health-related examples. Methodological issues confronting qualitative researchers are dealt with in general... more
Qualitative Research Methods: A Health Focus is a practical guide to conducting qualitative research, with an emphasis on health-related examples. Methodological issues confronting qualitative researchers are dealt with in general chapters on sampling and rigour, the use of theory, data analysis, and writing research proposals and reports. Established qualitative methods such as in-depth interviewing, focus groups, and ethnography are reviewed alongside chapters on more innovative and complex methods such as narrative methods, memory work, and participatory-action research. Detailed examples of each method are provided to illustrate the research process. It is increasingly being accepted that qualitative methods play an important role in health-related research. This book is a comprehensive and accessible guide to qualitative methods for health care students and health professionals.