First published in 1997, this self-selection of the writings of Michael Bloor, Reader at the University of Wales Cardiff, embraces papers on qualitative research findings, on qualitative methods, and on empirically-based theorising. It includes some material which is little known (for example, a rare observational study of illness behaviour) as well as some of Bloor’s best regarded papers. This selection from an expert with more than twenty five years of research experience in the field of...

There is an increasing divergence of focus group practice between social researchers and commercial market researchers. This book addresses the key issues and practical requirements of the social researcher, namely: the kinds of social research issues for which focus groups are most and least suitable; optimum group size and composition; and the designing of focusing exercises, facilitation and appropriate analysis.The authors use examples, drawn from their own focus groups researc...

A comparative sociological account of eight different therapeutic communities, One Foot in Eden, originally published in 1988, was the first study in this area to compare observational material from such a large number of settings.The communities chosen represent the wide variety of therapeutic community practice at the time: a residential Rudolf Steiner school for mentally handicapped children; two contrasting residential psychiatric units; a community for the treatment o...

An essential companion for students across the social and health sciences, this text provides a wide-ranging coverage of qualitative methods complemented by extended illustration from the array of academic disciplines in which qualitative research is found and employed.Written in a lively and reader-friendly style, the guide covers a comprehensive range of topics, including:- a concise definition of the method- a description of distinctive features- examples...

Repérer des victimes, confondre des suspects : les mobilisations dans le domaine de la santé environnementale se présentent désormais comme de véritables enquêtes policières. À la différence près que, dans ce domaine, les investigations ne sont pas menées uniquement par des enquêteurs professionnels. Les « profanes » cherchent eux aussi à rendre visibles les menaces auxquelles ils pensent être exposés et à établir la réalité des dommages dont ils s’estiment les victimes. Cet ouvrage rassem...