S-529

Case Study Research Methods

Class Session 8
03/25/2016
Irene A. Liefshitz, Ed.D
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8

AGENDA
– Welcome
– Class Community
– Project Workshop
– Break
– Case Study Guest Speaker: Dr. Meira
Levinson
– Methods Discussion
– Closure
.
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 Class
Community
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
03/25/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Class Community

FEEDBACK FROM LAST CLASS

QUESTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Project Workshop
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
03/25/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Project Workshop

Introduction
• Workshop partners
• Protocol choices
• Individual reflection

Partner work

Closure

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 Inside Look at CSR Design:
Dr. Meira Levinson
The ethics of pandering in Boston Public Schools’ school assignment plan (2015)

S-529 Case Study Research Methods

03/04/2016
Causal & Descriptive
Arguments
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
03/25/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Description
Gerring (2012) “Mere Description”

Description and causation BOTH as valid analytic goals

Taxonomy of descriptive arguments

• Particularizing description
– Account
• Generalizing descriptions
– Indicators
– Associations
– Syntheses
– Typology
 

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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Explanation
Hedstorm & Ylikoski (2010): mechanisms

Analytic sociology:
• intentional attention to the components of any mechanism:
agents, their properties, their actions, their relations unfolding
over time
• Possible probable plausible

Typology of social mechanisms

– Situational mechanisms
– Action-formation mechanisms
– Transformational mechanisms 

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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Description & Explanation

Where can we find description in Levinson’s article? Can we

classify her case study into Gerring’s typology?

Can we find explanation of causal mechanisms as part of

Levinson’s work? What, if anything, is she explaining anything in
her case study?

What else is accomplished by Levinson’s case study research

design, beyond description or explanation?

 
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S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Description & Explanation
CHOOSE ARTICLE TO DISCUSS
Miller (2011) or Cortez (2013)

SMALL GROUP/PAIR DISCUSSION

• What is the “argument about the world” this article is making?
Is this primarily a descriptive or explanatory/causal argument?
• Is the article’s argument convincing? In what ways could the
description and/or explanation be strengthened?
• What effective/strong element of case study research reported
in this article connects to or is usable in your own case study
research design?
 
WHOLE GROUP SHARE OUT
 
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 Closure
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
03/25/2016
S-529 Case Study Research Methods
Class Session 8: Closure

NEXT CLASS: 04/01/2016 (Generalization & Theory Building)

• Methodological readings
• Ethics & Politics reading: pdf already posted in Module 9
• 3 case study articles; I will post guiding questions for the 2nd part of our
case study discussion by Monday 3/28
• Start reading Alexander Means case study

FEEDBACK!!!!!!!

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