Case study as a methodology for cross-national - Research Proposal Example

Case Study as a Methodology for Cross-National Research Case study is a globally recognised method of research in the social sciences or in any socially related field. Shepard and Greene describe this method as an in-depth investigation/study of a single individual, group, or community (2003, pp A - 22). The use of samples to examine a pre-determined number of variables is substituted in the case study method by a detailed investigation of a single instance or event, which is called 'the case'. A case is systematically studied to understand the instance/event, collect data from such study, analyse the data to cull out the information and report the results on that basis. Hypotheses are both tested and generated through the Case Study method, as it allows the researcher to gain an insight into the reasons behind the instance/event being what it is; simultaneously also bringing to light what might be significant to look at in greater detail and extent for future research. It needs to be clarified at the outset that the Case Study approach is a form of enquiry applicable to the examination of phenomenon in a real life situation. This research strategy is not by definition a qualitative research methodology; it is possible to base this approach on a mix of qualitative and quantitative evidence. It is upon the researcher to determine whether a single critical case will be studied, or the single phenomenon under investigation will be studied through multiple sub-cases. However, it needs to be acknowledged that this method can be used only when prior theoretical propositions are available to draw from. As Lamnek (2005) comments: "The case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodologic paradigms." Paraphrased, this would imply that the case study approach is most successful when used to collect evidence using specific data gathering and analysis techniques best suited for answering the concerned research question/s. The strength of the method lies in its purposive nature, which allows the formulation of multiple data gathering tools and techniques tailor-made for the analysis of one single phenomenon that involves multidimensional factors and actors. National policies may be understood as guidelines for governments to carry out their responsibilities. As such, a comparative analysis of the national policies of two countries on any specific thematic area (in this case, urban regeneration) has the potential of pointing out the following: The national position of each country on the concerned theme - the overall framework within which activities in that area would be carried out in each country The points of convergence and divergence between the two countries vis--vis the overall framework Inferences that may be logically drawn about the comparative advantages and disadvantages of each policy The need for contextualising and concretising such analyses as described above would inevitably need to get down to the level of empirical cases of the application of such policies and that is where the case study method becomes not just relevant, but distinctly advantageous. Since the method is, by definition, a close examination of a real-life phenomenon, its use allows a policy to be studied in its applied state - thereby allowing the substantiation of inferences drawn logically through empirical evidence. Such application of national policies happens at the local level and is, therefore, characterised by the features of local political systems and situations, as also the social processes that affect localities. In a paper presented at the European Consortium on Political Research (2005, p 8), Peter John of Manchester University, U.K. had argued that one of the features of urban politics is 'propinquity' - resulting from the closeness of the political and social actors in an urban situation. If one accepts this feature, the case study method becomes more advantageous than other methods like sociometric or network-data analyses. This is so because only a critical case study would allow minute and detailed exploration of the various factors determining the micro-level application of a macro-policy. Such detailed investigation into the processes, in turn, allows drawing legitimate inferences on the outcomes of the processes applied. Comparative analysis of processes through a single critical case study for each situation (in this case, urban regeneration initiatives of two countries) would, thus, facilitate drawing comparative inferences about the outcomes also. Ferman's (1996) in-depth comparison of Chicago and Pittsburgh to establish differences in processes and outcomes may be cited in this context. It may be worthwhile in this connection to remember that urban regeneration in itself is a rather controversial concept, insofar as its impact on actual revitalisation is concerned. The comparative case study approach gains added relevance because of this highly debated nature of the notion of urban development itself. Since the case study approach is specifically focused on the 'how' and 'why' of a phenomenon under consideration, and seeks to find out answers to these two from a detailed and holistic a perspective - taking into account diverse factors that determine the phenomenon in its actual empirical location - it allows drawing inferences in real terms. This, in turn, facilitates bypassing other larger debates that may not necessarily be relevant for a particular research. While the Case Study method is widely applied with rigour and success in examining situations and issues of contemporary societies, this method is not recognised by all as an acceptable research strategy. There are critics who argue that the study of a limited number of cases does not provide enough ground for any generalisation; such research can at best be used as an exploratory tool. There are others who believe that the intense exposure to the case adversely affects the objectivity of the researcher, thereby lending bias to the findings. However, there are enough instances to demonstrate that the method can be used effectively and with success, if backed by careful planning - especially when the subject under investigation is a contemporary phenomenon that is so enmeshed in its context that it becomes difficult to separate one from the other. More importantly, when the case study method is applied to complement other forms of research, such as the analysis of existing documents, the value of this method increases substantially insofar as it does not constitute the only base for drawing inferences. This is precisely the case in the current research, where the case study approach has been used to add demonstrative evidence to the inferences drawn from relevant policy analyses. In addition, one may well argue, following Robert K Yin (1984) that instead of lending bias owing to intense exposure - the case study approach is the most suitable for studying an actual phenomenon that is so intricately connected with myriad levels of localised social, political, economic and cultural realities that any attempt to study the phenomenon in any other way would leave some aspect or the other beyond clear comprehension. To conclude, it may be pointed out that the case study method has certainly been used most extensively in social science research, but it has certainly not been limited to that. It may be remembered that Galileo's rejection of the Aristotelian view of gravity was based on two levels of single experimentation - first a conceptual one and then a practical one - rather than on the study of a vast number of samples. Flyvbjerg (2006, pp 219 - 245) has argued that this technique of depending on one single information-determined experiment is actually an application of the case study method in the field of pure physics. References: Flyvbjerg, Bent, 2006. Five Misunderstandings about Case Study Research, Qualitative Enquiry, 12(2), pp 219 - 245. John, Peter, 2005. Methodologies and Research Paradigms in Urban Politics. In: The European Consortium of Political Research, General Conference, 8 - 10 September, 2005, Budapest, p 8. Lamnek, Siegfried, 2005. Qualitative Sozialforschung. Quoted in Case Study (updated January 2009) www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_study [Accessed 10 December 2009] Sheperd, Jon and Robert, W. Greene, 2003. Sociology and You. Ohio: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, pp A - 22. Yin, Robert K., 2009. Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 4th ed., California: SAGE Publications. Read More