Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural

studies?
Misunderstanding 1: General, theoretical (context-independent)
knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical (context-
dependent) knowledge.

Answer: Predictive theories and universals cannot be found in the

study of human affairs. Concrete, context-dependent knowledge is,
therefore, more valuable than the vain search for predictive theories
and universals. The knowledge of a true expert is a knowledge of
casuistry!

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural
studies?
Misunderstanding 2: One cannot generalize on the basis of
an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute
to scientific development.

Answer: One can often generalize on the basis of a single case, and
the case study may be central to scientific development via
generalization as supplement or alternative to other methods. But
formal generalization is overvalued as a source of scientific
development, whereas “the force of example” is underestimated.
Not to mention how case studies can work as black swans!

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural
studies?
Misunderstanding 3: The case study is most useful for generating
hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process,
whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and
theory building.

Answer: The case study is useful for both generating and testing of
hypotheses but is not limited to these research activities alone. What
one can do with a case study depends completely on the strategies
for selecting cases;

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural studies?

AIC

aGeneralisation by 2022-11-01 12:04:19

f ortiori argument: --------------------------------------------
m ore likely vs. less likely Go for B, single case, type 3 or 4 (critical cases
or paradigmatic cases).

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural

Misunderstanding 4: The case study contains a bias toward

verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s
preconceived notions.

Answer: The case study contains no greater bias toward verification

of the researcher’s preconceived notions than other methods of
inquiry. On the contrary, experience indicates that the case study
contains a greater bias toward falsification of preconceived notions
than toward verification; it really depends on strategies for selecting
the case!

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
Case studies: why are they relevant for cultural

Misunderstanding 5: It is often difficult to summarize and develop

general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case
studies.

Answer: It is correct that summarizing case studies is often difficult,

especially as concerns case process. It is less correct as regards case
outcomes. The problems in summarizing case studies, however, are
due more often to the properties of the reality studied than to the
case study as a research method. Often it is not desirable to
summarize and generalize case studies. Good studies should be read
as narratives in their entirety – good writing matters a lot in case
studies!

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study

research.
What is the structure of a casy
Subject: the subject will be selected because it is an interesting or
unusual or revealing example through which the lineaments of
the object can be refracted.
For Cultural Studies: a cultural practice (shopping, going to bowling)
a cultural product (a movie, an advertising campaign) a cultural
event (a certain performance, a certain festival, a certain speech) –
they are often different perspectives of the same subject;

Qualities of a good case: familiarity of the researcher with the topic;

proximity and abundance of data (i.e. the everyday life? Now with
netnographic research?)

Thomas, G. (2011). A typology for the case study in social science following a
review of definition, discourse, and structure. Qualitative inquiry, 17(6), 511-
What is the structure of a casy
Object: the analytical focus that crystallizes, thickens, or develops as
the study proceeds: It is the way that this “object” develops that is at
the heart of the study.

For Cultural Studies: an analytic framework (employ interchangeably

with object) which imposes a certain senzitising paradigm: the
theoretical apparatus which works as a lens for investigating the
subject.
N.B.1. A case study is a back-and-forth between subject and object.
N.B.2. Research questions are part of the analytical framework!!!
N.B. 3. Theory is a tool – i.e. a thinking tool (Bourdieu & Wacquant)

Thomas, G. (2011). A typology for the case study in social science following a
review of definition, discourse, and structure. Qualitative inquiry, 17(6), 511-
What is the structure of a case
Purpose, approach, procesee: for cultural studies – go with
evaluative, theory-testing single case studies;

Thomas, G. (2011). A typology for the case study in social science following a
review of definition, discourse, and structure. Qualitative inquiry, 17(6), 511-
Research Questions: starting points for
Alveson& Sandberg (x2 - 2011)

- The hypocrisy about RQs: they are “initiating” the research, but their
formulation comes late in the research process;
-Structure & types of RQs:
- Open (NOT yes/no answer);
- Exploratory;
- In a logical succession: descriptive, explanatory prescriptive??
- Formulated with theoretical concepts: they are part of
the analytical framework;
- Formulated with direct reference to the case-study (not general):
the RQ’s guide you in analysing the case, so they have to target
(to be about) the case as such!
- The perils of gap-spotting: really knowing the literature – so: go
with problematization!
Research AIC
2022-11-01 12:05:34
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How to do problematization with research
questions.