Imagine it's your birthday and you come home to find your family has bought you your favourite cake, as they do every year.
Now imagine that your neighbour, on their birthday, cuts into a large apple pie instead of a cake. Everyone on your street gets cakes on their birthday except this one neighbour. This intrigues you and you start researching this unusual tradition. Why not a birthday cake? Is there some cultural or historical significance behind celebrating with a pie? If so, why is it an apple pie? Would having a cherry pie, for example, hold the same meaning?
The point of this (seemingly random) scenario is to understand why researchers may choose to use case studies in their research. To give you a good understanding of case studies, we will be looking at:
- In this explanation, we will explore the definition of case study research
- Next, we'll go over a description of how case studies are used
- After this, we'll explore the methodology of case studies
- Then, we'll take a look at some examples of case studies
- Finally, we'll take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the case study method in sociology
Definition of case study research
Case studies are a research method sometimes used by sociologists. Research that takes the form of a case study can also be called a case study design. Let's examine the definition of a case study.
Case studies are in-depth investigations focused on an individual person, group, community, organisation, situation, or event.
Description of case studies
Case studies are used in a wide range of academic research areas. For instance, they can be used to study the intricacies of a particular medical phenomenon or to investigate a certain historical event.
In social research, such as in sociology, case studies are a good way to investigate social phenomena or to understand how certain processes and groups within society operate.
A researcher could study the details of a serial killer's deviance (focusing on one individual) or explore the integration of asylum seekers and refugees in a particular neighbourhood (focusing on a specific group of people).
Let's consider some common features or characteristics of case studies.
Methodology of case studies
Case studies can use methodological pluralism (using a wide range of research methods) to achieve triangulation (cross-checking of data to increase validity).
Due to the use of methodological pluralism, case studies can produce both quantitative and qualitative data.
Case studies can sometimes also be longitudinal studies (researchers studying the data at regular intervals over a long period of time).
The sample of the case study (the person, group, event, etc that is being studied) is often chosen because they are unique or exceptional in some way, and researchers want to learn more. For instance, researchers may choose to study a group of 15 delinquent children in a certain school because they deviate from behavioural norms.
Data found from case studies can be used to formulate new social theories or to test the validity of existing theories.
Because case studies have a narrow focus, they are not used to make wider claims about populations. However, although the focus is narrow, the scope of the project can be very extensive, e.g. if a researcher is studying a person's social development throughout childhood and adolescence.
Using case studies with other research methods
Case studies can be used to follow up on a survey to provide more depth to the investigation. A case study can also precede a survey to establish whether a phenomenon merits further research.
Methodological pluralism in case studies
Researchers can use methodological pluralism in case studies to obtain a wide range of data using a wide range of research methods. Although the research methods used vary from case to case, they may include the following:
Case studies are relevant not only to sociology but to many different fields, including history, politics, economics, law, and the media. Some well-known examples of case studies include research on:
A community
Karen O'Reilly's (2000) and Michaela Benson's (2011) research of expatriate Briton communities in Costa del Sol, Spain. They examined groups of British people in Spain, who were notorious for being drunkards.
Researchers dove behind the stereotypes of British expatriates in Costa del Sol and studied their everyday experiences. They also studied expats' reasons for migrating to Spain and found complex accounts of expatriate life through interviews.
A school
Stephen Ball's (1981) study into underperforming working-class students at Beachside Comprehensive examined in detail why working-class students were not performing well in school. Ball carried out participant observation at the school for three years. Upon observing two groups of students, he found there was some differentiation between students, which harmed working-class students' education.
An organisation
Simon Holdaway's (1982, 1983) study of police service, whilst serving as a sergeant. Holdaway carried out a covert ethnographic study of police work in the London Metropolitan Police Service.
The study is considered ground-breaking. Holdaway is referred to by some sociologists as a police research pioneer.
An event
Graham Allison's (1971) study of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He wrote the 'Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis', analysing the historical events of 1962.
It was used as a case study to study governmental and political decision-making in further detail. The book is well-known in the study of international relations.
Advantages and disadvantages of case study method in sociology
Gauging the suitability of a case study for a research project depends on several considerations.
Fig. 1 - Consider why some researchers may favour case studies and others may not.
Advantages of case studies
Interpretivist sociologists favour case studies because they generate detailed, qualitative data and bring in-depth insights to the investigation.
Case studies that use methodological pluralism are highly valid as they have achieved triangulation.
Researchers can gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
It is comparably cheaper to study a small sample compared to researching a large sample.
Disadvantages of case studies
Case studies are criticised by positivists for small and unrepresentative sample sizes, meaning that findings cannot be generalised to the wider population.
Positivists also state case studies are difficult to replicate because of the unique circumstances of each case study.
Researcher bias and influence may affect the validity of the findings.
It can still be expensive and time-consuming to carry out a case study.
Depending on the nature of the case study, there may be ethical concerns, especially around sensitive information.
Case Studies - Key takeaways
- Case studies are in-depth investigations focused on an individual person, group, community, organisation, situation, or event.
- Case studies can use methodological pluralism to achieve triangulation. Methodological pluralism in case studies can include using questionnaires, interviews, observations, photos, videos, and documents to carry out research.
- Although the focus of case studies is narrow, their scope is extensive.
- The advantages of case studies include in-depth qualitative data, high validity, and cheaper costs.
- The disadvantages of case studies include unrepresentative sample sizes, lack of generalisability and replicability, researcher bias, and cost. They can also be time-consuming and potentially unethical.
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