Approaches to Qualitative Research couples theoretical articles with practical research examples in order to help students of varying degrees develop a holistic understanding of the process of qualitative research. The book covers a wide range of traditional and emergent research methods as well as techniques of analysis and writing. Approaches to Qualitative Research also makes the critical link between theory and method explicit through carefully selected articles and in-depth introductory essays.

Offering a variety of innovative methods and tools, The Oxford Handbook of Multi- and Mixed-Methods Research Inquiry provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi- and mixed-methods research available. Written in clear and concise language by leading scholars in the field, it enhances and disrupts traditional ways of asking and addressing complex research questions. Topics include an overview of theory, paradigms, and scientific inquiry; a guide to conducting a multi- and mixed-methods research study from start to finish; current uses of multi- and mixed-methods research across academic disciplines and research fields; the latest technologies and how they can be incorporated into study design; and a presentation of multiple perspectives on the key remaining debates. Each chapter in the volume is structured to include state-of-the-art research examples that cross a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary research settings. In addition, the Handbook offers multiple quantitative and qualitative theoretical and interdisciplinary visions and praxis. Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy makers will appreciate the exceptional, timely, and critical coverage in this Handbook, which deftly addresses the interdisciplinary and complex questions that a diverse set of research communities are facing today.

Emergent technologies are pushing the boundaries of how both qualitative and quantitative researchers practice their craft, and it has become clear these changes are dramatically altering research design, from the questions researchers ask and the ways they collect data, to what they even consider data.
Gathering a broad range of new developments in one place, The Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research offers comprehensive, up-to-date thinking on technological innovations. In addition to addressing how to effectively apply new technologies-such as the internet, mobile technologies, geospatial technologies (GPS), and the incorporation of computer-assisted software programs (CAQDAS) to qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches to research projects-many chapters provide in-depth examples of practices within both disciplinary and interdisciplinary environments and outside the academic world in multi-media laboratories and research institutes. Not only an authoritative view of cutting-edge technologies and their applications, the Handbook examines the costs and benefits of utilizing new technologies on the research process, the potential misuse of these techniques for methods practices, and the ethical and moral dimensions of emergent technologies, especially with regard to issues of surveillance and privacy.
The Handbook of Emergent Technologies in Social Research is an essential resource for research methods courses in various fields, including the social sciences, education, communications, computer science, and health services, and an indispensable guide for social researchers looking to incorporate emerging technologies into their methods and practice.

Whether they are rich or poor, liberal or conservative, religious or atheist, thriving or stagnant, most American women have one thing in common--they want to be thin--or thinner. And they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get that way, even to the point of starving themselves. Why are America's women so preoccupied with weight? Is there more to this preoccupation than weight alone? What has caused record numbers of young women--even before they reach their teenage years--to suffer from weight obsession, poor body image, and disordered eating? Why are some young women able to resist cultural pressures to be thin when others are not? Are there factors within American society that have fueled current outbreaks of anorexia and bulimia? The Cult of Thinness, Second Edition--a revised and expanded version of Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber's award-winning book, Am I Thin Enough Yet? (OUP, 1996)--answers these questions and more.
Hesse-Biber goes beyond traditional psychological explanations of eating disorders to level a powerful indictment against the social, political, and economic pressures women face in a weight-obsessed society--a society that is, ironically, becoming increasingly more fat while worshipping a progressively more thin ideal. She examines the profit motives of corporate America that promote this paradox. Moreover, a new chapter on preteens, masculinity, ethnicity, gay and lesbian body image, and the globalization of body image issues align a refined cultural study of body image with the trends found in current research studies, demographic data, and popular culture.
Using the metaphor of a cult, Hesse-Biber conveys the intense, day-to-day involvement thatthe pursuit of thinness demands. Examining the testimonies of young women concerning the practice of body rituals, she observes the extent to which these women sacrifice their bodies and minds to the pursuit of the ultra-slender ideal. She looks at pressures coming from their families and friends that perpetuate their cult-like practices and evaluates a range of therapies and personal and collective actions available to help women overcome their weight obsessions and eating problems.
Hesse-Biber provides new frameworks for envisioning femininity and personal power, overcoming body insecurity, strengthening the inner self, and changing the cultural environment itself. Along the way, the reader is provided with important self-help tips to tackle the growing number of body image issues young women and new recruits to the "Cult of Thinness" continue to encounter.
There are alternatives to the Cult of Thinness and this book provides a strong antidote.

Approaches to Qualitative Research couples theoretical articles with practical research examples in order to help students of varying degrees develop a holistic understanding of the process of qualitative research. The book covers a wide range of traditional and emergent research methods as well as techniques of analysis and writing. Approaches to Qualitative Research also makes the critical link between theory and method explicit through carefully selected articles and in-depth introductory essays.

The second edition of Working Women in America: Split Dreams highlights current research on critical issues affecting American women in today's global workplace. It features updated information and examples, including extended discussions of women's activism within and outside of the workplace, the impact of globalization, the effects of the glass ceiling and sexual harassment, and women's roles in the U.S. labor movement. Retaining the focus of the first edition, this text emphasizes the continuity of women's work experience. It seeks to dispel the misconception that women's work is a recent phenomenon, when in fact women have been working throughout history. The book also addresses the constant tension and multiple roles that women must manage. The lives of working women are indeed characterized by "split dreams": most women who work are constantly juggling their work and family dreams. It is therefore misleading to concentrate solely on the workplace when seeking to understand women's position at work. Rather, one must pay attention to the connections among societal institutions. To this end, the authors argue for and utilize a structural approach-one that examines the ways in which the economy, education, the family, and the polity reflect and influence one another and help reinforce women's subordination. Only when these connections are brought to light is it possible to begin to formulate alternatives to conventional ideas concerning work, family, and gender roles.
The authors begin by situating their research in opposition to dominant sociological models of work. They then provide a thorough historical overview of women at work, carefully examining the diversity of women's experiences by race, ethnicity, class, and age. Economic, legal, political, familial, and educational institutions are also analyzed to show the ways in which they help produce and maintain inequality for women in the workplace. Working Women in America: Split Dreams intersperses first-person accounts throughout the book and provides a number of vignettes of women employed in a variety of occupations. It is an ideal text for courses in women's studies, sociology, economics, social work, and history, and fascinating reading for anyone interested in women and their work.

This accessibly written book is ideal for use in graduate courses or by practicing researchers and evaluators. The author puts the research problem at center stage, showing how mixed methods designs can fruitfully address different types of research questions. She illustrates the discussion with examples of mixed methods studies from a variety of disciplines and qualitative approaches (interpretative, feminist, and postmodern). The text demonstrates how to navigate ethical issues; gather, analyze, and interpret data; and write up the results, including an in-depth example with step-by-step commentary. Special features include "researcher standpoint" reflections from leading scholars and practical strategies to help users develop their own research perspectives. Every chapter concludes with a glossary, discussion questions, and useful Web resources.

This book helps readers develop an understanding of feminist research by illuminating the theories which influence it, as well as outlining the application of those theories in actual research projects.

This accessibly written book is ideal for use in graduate courses or by practicing researchers and evaluators. The author puts the research problem at center stage, showing how mixed methods designs can fruitfully address different types of research questions. She illustrates the discussion with examples of mixed methods studies from a variety of disciplines and qualitative approaches (interpretative, feminist, and postmodern). The text demonstrates how to navigate ethical issues; gather, analyze, and interpret data; and write up the results, including an in-depth example with step-by-step commentary. Special features include "researcher standpoint" reflections from leading scholars and practical strategies to help users develop their own research perspectives. Every chapter concludes with a glossary, discussion questions, and useful Web resources.

Social researchers increasinly find themselves looking beyond conventional methods to address complex research questions. The Handbook of Emergent Methods is the first book to comprehensively examine emergent qualitative and quantitative theories and methods across the social and behavioral sciences. Providing scholars and students with a way to retool their research choices, the volume presents cutting-edge approaches to data collection, analysis, and representation. Leading researchers describe alternative uses of traditionnal quantitative and qualitative tools, innovative hybrid or mixed methods; and new techniques facilitated by technological advances. Consistently formatted chapters explore the strengths and limitations of each method for studying different types of research questions and offer practical, in-depth examples.