Methodological opportunism : exploiting serendipity and collegiality in the conduct of a sensitizing study of techno-power in sociology departments in England, 1987-1996 / William J. F. Keenan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Keenan, William J. F., author.

Series:

SAGE Research Methods. Cases.

SAGE Research Methods. Cases

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Education--Effect of technological innovations on--England--Case studies.

Education.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2018.

Summary:

This case study provides an account of a small-scale sensitizing sociological probe of "techno-power" stratification in academic sociology between the years 1987 and 1996. Here, the focus is on the opportunistic methodology that served this research study. The main intention of the project was to capture the experience of local "gatekeepers" charged with overseeing the introduction of information and communications technologies and then being energetically promoted in academic sociology departments. A snowball method of identifying a suitable sample of "techno-power brokers" within the national sociology "estate" was adopted. An account is provided here of the importance of the chance encounter and collegiality in this modest exploratory study. It is intended to stimulate critical reflection on "methodological opportunism" as a viable mode of entrée to researchable projects that come up out of the blue and to identify the potential value, uses, and possibilities of serendipitous methods, together with caveats about their risks. It also underscores the significance of "not forgetting" in the tribal memory of the discipline.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on XML content.

ISBN:

1-5264-4922-6

9781526449221

OCLC:

1023832564