The Meaning of Contemplation for Social Qualitative Research: Applications and Examples (Routledge Advances in Research Methods)

By: Krzysztof T. Konecki

Sign Up Now! Already a Member? Log In
You must be logged into Bookshare to access this title. Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles.

Synopsis: This book offers an account of contemplative reflection in qualitative social research. Focusing on the experiences of the researcher – including sensory and emotional experiences – and the work of the mind in the investigative process, it considers the means by which the researcher’s basic assumptions can be analysed and bracketed, so as to shed light on the process by which knowledge is produced. Through an exploration of the methods of meditation, auto-observation and self-reports, epoché, ‘contemplative memo-ing’, and the contemplative diary, the author explores the essential role of subjectivity in qualitative research, providing inspiration for more mindful research. As such, it will appeal to scholars of sociology, anthropology and geography with interests in phenomenology, research methods and the role of the mind in the research process.