Qualitative methods

The qualitative analysis starts from interviews and group discussions, participant observation and field notes. Additional documentary features are texts and visual recordings (pictures, videos). Interviews will be structured, semi-structured, and unstructured. The preliminary catalogue of interview topics will be used in form of pilot/cognitive testing. The results test the validity and relevance of the criteria and will by and by lead to the revision of the original catalogue. These methods are strongly related to ethnomethodology. In addition, the following features of qualitative research will become relevant: Social research, ethical inquiry, historical research, and Grounded Theory (modified to the extent that certain categories and codes are presupposed for heuristic reasons). From a technical point of view, the analysis starts from coding (techniques), by classifying, categorizing, and demarcating the preliminary data obtains through interviews etc. Diaries will be another relevant source that will be integrated into this type of data pool. The relevant codes include categorial terms and interpretative phrases. Many of the relevant codes will be introduced in a binary way [+/-givenness/significance], but other instances will call for a 'weak coding' that marks relevance/significance in terms of scales (e.g. patterns of exogamy: restricted to specific regions, ethnic groups, men/women etc.). Another type of codes will include information stemming from recursive abstraction, such as detailed information on specific sociocultural and sociolinguistic markers. Although the project focuses on those categories/markers (and hence codes) that are relevant for the internal/external perspective on ethnicity, it will also consider non-distinctive categories/features etc. These 'trivial' features will serve as a matrix that allows inter-ethnic comparison. In addition, it may well be the case that a category/feature is a marker from one (e.g. external) perspective, but viewed as 'irrelevant' from the other (e.g. internal) perspective.