Presents a more balanced coverage of qualitative and quantitative methods than any other book on the market, and illustrates how the greatest benefit often comes from combining various approaches. It discusses the social and historical context of research, and teaches students to recognize ethnocentric perspectives and the assumptions, values, and beliefs of their own society. Chapter 3, “Theory and Research,” helps students with no prior coursework in social theory understand the importance of theory and its connection to research.The book contains many explanatory diagrams and interesting examples drawn from scholarly literature and incorporates feminist and postmodernist theories in the “Meaning of Methodologies” chapter (Ch. 4). Covers writing a literature review and ethics early in Chapter 5 and concludes with a chapter on writing a research report.
