Case Studies Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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A case study is one of several ways to conduct social and political science research. The ter m has several meanings in the research literature. Case study can be used to describe a unit of analysis (e.g., for an organization, a country, an event, or a person); a research method (generally as a qualitative inquiry); or a research strategy that investigates single or multiple cases using participant observations, interviews, surveys, and statistical data.

Some researchers have described the case study as an umbrella term for a group of research methods that focus an inquiry around a specific context. In this regard, for example, single or multiple case studies can include quantitative evidence based on multiple sources of evidence. Robert Yin, one of the prominent scholars who conceptualizes the term, points out that case studies should not be confused with qualitative research. He indicates that a case study can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence, including experiments, surveys, and archival information. This definition is also supported by Siegfried Lamnek: “The case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodological paradigms.” Case studies clearly address “what” (what happened) and “who” (who did it), and they also (descriptively) address the “how much” question. In some cases, instead of analyzing cause-effect relationships or generalizable truth within the study, researchers focus on the exploration and description of the situation. In other words, holistic understanding of the situation is more important in case studies. This type of research is multifaceted because it commonly involves analysis of data from multiple sources, with researchers examining single or multiple cases within a study.

Researchers from many disciplines, including social and natural sciences, use the case study method. Political science researchers use this method to describe or explain a situation or a phenomenon, explore an event, generate a new theory, test a theory in a certain environment, challenge a theory, or find applicable solutions for social problems. One of the major advantages of the case study method is its relation to everyday practices and applicability to real-life situations.

In case studies, the researcher can apply many theories in the research design but most commonly used theories are individual, organizational, and social. Individual theories, which focus on the personality, cognitive behavior, individual development, and interactions of a particular subject, can be applicable to political science research, especially the political psychology field. Organizational theories focusing on institutions, bureaucracies, organizational structure, and performance are commonly used in public policy and administration research in political science. Social theories that address urban development, group behavior, and cultural institutions are also applicable for political science research.

In terms of its history, the case study is not a new form of research. In fact, sociology and anthropology are credited with shaping the term as it is now conceptualized. However, case study research has its roots in a number of other areas as well: the clinical methods of medical doctors; the methods of journalists, historians, and anthropologists; and the qualitative descriptions provided by quantitative researchers such as Robert E. Park, Chicago sociologist and former newspaper reporter. Park was one of the most prominent scholars in shaping sociological case studies at the University of Chicago in the 1920s.

The debate between proqualitative and proquantitative became quite intense over the years, and the case study method has received many criticisms. In fact, when compared to statistics, case studies were considered to be unscientific by some scholars due to the rise of positivism and quantitative methods in social science research. The underlying philosophical assumptions in these case studies are exploration and description, which are considered a subjective issue by many. This type of comprehensive understanding involves an in-depth explanation of an entity, people, community, or a country that produces much more detailed information than a statistical analysis.

Bibliography:

Hamel, Jacques. Case Study Methods. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1993.
Lamnek, Siegfried. Qualitative Sozialforschung: Lehrbuch, vol. 4.Weinhein, Ger.: Beltz Verlag, 2005.
Mills, Albert J., Durepos, Gabrielle, and Wiebe, Elden, eds. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research.Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2009.
Yin, Robert K. Applications of Case Study Research, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications, 2003.
Case Study Research, Design, and Methods, 2nd ed. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications, 1994.