Hi
If it's any help I concur with most of what has been said. Essentially
the 'unit of analysis' is precisely what it says on the tin - the basic
unit or ontological entity that you wish to analyse or compare in your
analysis. In this sense it differs from a unit of data or an entity from
which you might generate data. In analysis or coding terms this might
sometimes be thought of as a 'case'.
So, whilst you might be working with individual people to generate data
(e.g. through interviews, life histories, observations) this doesn't
necessarily mean that the people themselves are your units of analysis
(although they might be).
For example, suppose you were comparing two schools and these were your
'cases' for the analysis. You have two cases, two units of analysis, but
for each case you might interview a number of people and look at a
number of documents and make a number of observations, etc. But it is
the schools you are comparing not the 40 or so people (i.e. you have two
cases not 40).
There's a quick definition here
http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/unitanal.php
This is important in disability studies I think because people often
fall into the trap of researching and comparing disabled people (as
though they were the object of an enquiry) rather than researching the
disabling barriers or institutions that they are really interested in.
As Vic Finkelstein once put it, 'disabled people are not the subject
matter of disability studies'.
If you want to compare disabled people then they are your units of
analysis, if you want to compare 'factors' then these are your units of
analysis. Who you approach to generate the knowledge about these
factors, and how you do it, is then an epistemological question.
Just a thought
Best wishes
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Robert Harvey
Cowe
Sent: 16 January 2007 15:09
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Unit of analysis; still confused
My research is qualitive. I am using semi-structured interviews.
Don't know whether this helps but my intro, as it stands at the moment
goes
something like:
The goals of this thesis are to identify barriers to independent living
and
autonomy that are encountered by disabled people. Its focus will narrow
to
analyse the experiences of people that have acquired a spinal cord
injury
(SCI) and who require assistance with day-to-day living. Some events in
my
life, and the narratives that I believe guided my perception of the
situation that I found myself in, originated the interest in researching
these barriers. Hence, the description of my personal experiences
related
to SCI will be embedded throughout the thesis.
This thesis will also explore the factors that create an enabling rather
than a disabling relationship with those providing assistance, so that
the
potential and aspirations of people acquiring a SCI may be fulfilled.
THE
UNIT OF ANALYSIS for this investigation will be the examination of the
barriers impeding an autonomous lifestyle for people acquring a SCI.
Thus,
the leading research question is: What are the experiences of people
with
spinal cord injury who require assistance, and what makes an enabling
rather than disabling personal assistance relationship?
I am focusing on:
Narratives on the Experiences of Spinal Cord Injury
History of Responses to Spinal Cord Injury
The role of the personal assistant
Any advice appreciated,
Harvey
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