Practise

1. Contextual sensitivity means that we are sensitive to ______.

a. explaining the causes of events

b. explaining the consequences of events

c. the way that apparently uniform institutions take on a variety of meanings in different contexts

d. all of these

e. None of these

Ans: C – the way that apparently uniform institutions take on a variety of meanings in different contexts. These institutions can include ‘the family’, ‘a tribe’ or ‘science’.

2. The order in which we should ask qualitative research questions is ______.

a. how before why

b. what before how

c. why before what

d. how before why, and what before how

e. None of these

Ans: D – how before why, and what before how. Understanding social phenomena through qualitative methods usually means trying to answer ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions. ‘Why’ questions are usually best postponed until you have a proper understanding of the phenomenon under investigation.