• Uses ethnographic approach and applies Boudon’s cognitive action theory • Rural and ethnic minority education is one of the understudied fields in China • Describes the local transformation of Islamic religious education in detail •Delineates an in-depth picture of how local culture, social structure, market forces, and state affect the educational perceptions and practices of local Muslim parents and children

* Uses ethnographic approach and applies Boudon's cognitive action theory * Rural and ethnic minority education is one of the understudied fields in China * Describes the local transformation of Islamic religious education in detail *Delineates an in-depth picture of how local culture, social structure, market forces, and state affect the educational perceptions and practices of local Muslim parents and children

This book shares young scholars' (current PhD students and those who completed their PhD between 2010 and 2015) experiences with conducting qualitative social research. Intended as a guide for newcomers to the field, it focuses on the practical issues encountered by qualitative researchers rather than methodological discussions. Accordingly, it addresses a range of representative issues in the qualitative research process - namely research design, data access, data collection, and data analysis - and covers a variety of social sciences topics.