Configurational comparative methods : qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) and related techniques / edited by Benoît Rihoux, Charles C. Ragin.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Rihoux, Benoît, 1965-

Ragin, Charles C.

Series:

Applied social research methods series ; v. 51.

Applied social research methods series ; 51

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Comparative method.

Social sciences.

Social sciences--Research--Methodology.

Physical Description:

xxv, 209 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks : Sage, [2009]

Summary:

Configurational Comparative Methods paves the way for an innovative approach to empirical scientific work through a strategy that integrates key strengths of both qualitative (case-oriented) and quantitative (variable-oriented) approaches. This first-of-its-kind text is ideally suited for "small-N" or "intermediate-N" research situations, which both mainstream qualitative and quantitative methods find difficult to address. Benoit Rihoux and Charles C. Ragin, along with their contributing authors, offer both a basic, comparative research design overview and a technical, hands-on review of Crisp-Set QCA (csQCA), Multi-Value QCA (mvQCA), and Fuzzy-Set QCA (fsQCA).

Contents:

Why Compare? Why Configurational Comparative Methods? xvii

Structure of This Book xxi

Companion Readings xxiii

1 Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) as an Approach / Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Gisele De Meur, Benoit Rihoux, Charles C. Ragin 1

Locating QCA 1

Epistemological Foundations 1

"Small-N" Research and "Macro-Comparative" Analysis ... and Beyond 3

Key Features and Assumptions of QCA 6

Cases and Theory 6

Causality, Complexity, and Parsimony 8

Modest Generalization 11

Data, Replicability, and Transparency 12

Five Types of Uses of QCA Techniques 15

2 Comparative Research Design: Case and Variable Selection / Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Gisele De Meur 19

Case Selection 20

Outcome and Area of Homogeneity 20

The "Most Similar" Versus "Most Different" Systems Designs 21

Further Guidance for Case Selection 23

The Selection of Conditions 25

MSDO/MDSO: A Systematic Procedure for Matching Cases and Conditions 28

3 Crisp-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (csQCA) / Benoit Rihoux, Gisele De Meur 33

The Foundation of Crisp-Set QCA: Boolean Algebra in a Nutshell 34

Step 1 Building a Dichotomous Data Table 39

Step 2 Constructing a "Truth Table" 44

Step 3 Resolving Contradictory Configurations 48

Step 4 Boolean Minimization 56

Minimization of the [1] Configurations (Without Logical Remainders) 57

Minimization of the [0] Configurations (Without Logical Remainders) 58

Step 5 Bringing in the "Logical Remainders" Cases 59

Why Logical Remainders Are Useful 59

Minimization of the [1] Outcome (With Logical Remainders) 60

Minimization of the [0] Outcome (With Logical Remainders) 61

Step 6 Interpretation 65

4 Multi-Value QCA (mvQCA) / Lasse Cronqvist, Dirk Berg-Schlosser 69

Why mvQCA?

Some Problems in the csQCA Example 69

Further Limitations of Dichotomous Variables ... and Why mvQCA 70

Differences Between mvQCA and csQCA 72

Notation in mvQCA 72

Minimization in mvQCA 74

Including Logical Remainders in the Minimization Rule 75

Deciding Threshold Values 76

Empirical Example: Lipset's Theory 78

5 Qualitative Comparative Analysis Using Fuzzy Sets (fsQCA) / Charles C. Ragin 87

Fuzzy Sets: A Brief Presentation 89

Fuzzy Sets Defined 89

Operations on Fuzzy Sets 94

Fuzzy Subsets 99

Using Crisp Truth Tables to Aid Fuzzy-Set Analysis 103

The Correspondence Between Vector Space Corners and Truth Table Rows 104

Specifying Frequency Thresholds for Fuzzy-Set Assessments 106

Assessing the Consistency of Fuzzy Subset Relations 107

Constructing the Truth Table 109

The Fuzzy-Set Analysis of Necessary Conditions 109

Application of the Procedure 111

Analysis With SURVIVED as the Outcome 111

Analysis With BREAKDOWN as the Outcome 115

6 A Commented Review of Applications / Sakura Yamasaki, Benoit Rihoux 123

csQCA 123

Case Selection 124

Selection of Conditions 125

Threshold Setting (Dichotomization) 130

Dealing With Contradictory Configurations 132

Inclusion of Logical Remainders 135

Dealing With Contradictory Simplifying Assumptions 136

mvQCA 138

Fuzzy Sets 139

Hagan and Hansford-Bowles (2005): A Robust Application 139

Katz, Vom Hau, and Mahoney (2005): Fuzzy Sets Versus Regression 140

Jackson (2005): The Importance of Case Knowledge 141

Kogut, MacDuffie, and Ragin (2004): Informed Inclusion of "Simplifying Assumptions" 142

Gran (2003): Fuzzy Sets as a Typology-Building Tool 143

7 Addressing the Critiques of QCA / Gisele De Meur, Benoit Rihoux, Sakura Yamasaki 147

The Dichotomization of Data 148

The Use of Non-Observed Cases (Logical Remainders) 152

Case Sensitivity 155

The Difficulty in Selecting Conditions 158

The Black Box Problem 159

The Temporality Problem 161

Conclusion: There Is No "Miracle Method" 164

8 Conclusions-The Way(s) Ahead / Benoit Rihoux, Charles C. Ragin, Sakura Yamasaki, Damien Bol 167

Mainstreaming "Good Practices" in Applications of QCA 167

Connecting the Different QCA Techniques 169

Connecting QCA Techniques and Other Qualitative and Quantitative Techniques 170

Pursuing Innovations 172

Engaging in Collective Research Efforts and Informed Methodological Debates 175

Appendix Further Resources for Configurational Comparative Methods 179

Where to Find Further Information 179.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 185-198) and index.

ISBN:

9781412942355

1412942357

OCLC:

225852482