Shelves and bins: varieties of qualitative sociology in rural studies.

摘要

This paper provides a discussion that summarizes understanding of what is involved in qualitative research and how it is linked to several key positions in the philosophy of social science. It discusses a few issues that qualitative researchers commonly confront, introduces the articles in this special issue on 'Qualitative Sociology in Rural Studies', and concludes with several observations on the future of the 'qualitative' in rural studies. In the process it is hoped to provide some insights about the rationales of qualitative practitioners and to cite some key literature.