Hi Liz,
I don't really understand why you should not get funded because you use quantitative methods. As long as you can justify your methods as the best way of approaching your particular research question, quantitative research is as good as qualitative research. The social model is after all about barriers in society, which can be measured quantitatively (e.g. How big is the proportion of working aged adults with learning difficulties who access paid employment? How does that proportion compare with the UK population as a whole?). I think quantitative research makes a lot of sense in social model research.
I have just started a PhD myself, looking at the social creation of vulnerability of people with learning difficulties to sexual violence in the UK. In the beginning I was committed to 100% quantitative research and my proposal, which stated this, earned me funding. There you go: It is possible to be funded for quantitative social model research. Now I have however realised that the processes involved are a lot more complex and that a purely quantitative approach would over-simplify them. I will now use a mixed methods approach. Maybe it would be useful in your case as well: How many people with learning difficulties are living in poverty? is a question that can be answered quantitatively, but once you start looking at the causes, adding a qualitative dimension might also be useful.
Your research plans sound interesting. I hope you will be able to carry them out.
All the best, Andrea
>
> From: Liz Ellis <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2006/12/05 Tue PM 09:40:14 GMT
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Learning Difficulties, Socioeconomic Class, the Social Model and Quantitative Research
>
> sorry, in my original post I confused my quals with my quants. I am after
> quantitative research into learning difficulties that isn't medical model based.
>
> Sorry for the confusion!
>
> Liz
>
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