Chapter 3: Research methods and design
3.4 Data analysis
3.4.3 Analysing the data
3.4.3.1 First stage of analysis: LCT
Before the LCT analysis of the interview data could be undertaken, it was necessary to develop a language of description for the study that allowed for translation between the theory and data.
The identification of a theoretical framework and concepts that are appropriate to the research area of interest is not sufficient in itself to enable analysis of data. This is because the same theoretical concept may manifest differently in different studies - for example, Chen (2010, p.77) points out that the concept of „knower code‟ manifests as “an emphasis on one being a member of a particular culture, or having experience with that culture” in Doherty‟s (2008) study, and as
“an emphasis on one‟s aptitude, attitude and personal expression” in Lamont & Maton‟s (2008) study. Different realisations of the same concept may be attributed to different objects of study, as well as to the particularities of different contexts (Chen, 2010). Thus, it was necessary for me to devise an „external language of description‟ (also referred to as an „analytical device‟, „reading device‟ or „translation device‟) in order to show the relation and movement between the theory and the data in this specific study.
Figure 3.1: The relation between theory and data in the study
Doing this served a number of important purposes. First, it facilitated the process of analysis by transforming abstract theoretical concepts into clear working definitions of how the concepts were represented in my data, thus making it easier for me to see the concepts „at work‟ in my study.
Second, it would make explicit to others how I made judgements about matching particular data to particular theoretical concepts, thereby contributing to the trustworthiness of the study. Third, Chen (2010) adds that constructing such a translation device prevents a theory from simply being imposed on the data; instead it allows for other information (influenced by the object of study and the particular context) to also emerge from the data. The external language of description for this study is outlined in Table 3.4.
Internal language of description (L1):
Theoretical concepts (LCT)
Empirical data:
Interviews with Marketing students
and lecturers External language of description
(L2):
Translation device: Table 3.4
Table 3.4: External language of description for LCT concepts and interview data
Dimension Aspect Concept Description of concept How concept manifests in this study Example from interview data
Specialisation
Epistemic relations
ER+
Knowledge, skills, procedures and techniques are strongly bounded and controlled.
(+C, +F of ER)
Emphasis is placed on students’
possession of specialist Marketing content knowledge, skills, procedures and techniques.
“they’re going to have to acquire the Marketing knowledge, the Marketing terminologies…so, Marketing speak” (Kamini)
ER-
Knowledge, skills, procedures and techniques are weakly bounded and controlled.
(-C, -F of ER)
The possession of specialist
Marketing content knowledge, skills, procedures and techniques is downplayed. There is some degree of overlap with, or drawing on, other disciplines.
“…it’s also funny how people that don’t have a proper background in Marketing - or even if it was Supply Chain or whatever – they don’t have a proper background, but they get into the [Marketing] Honours system…” (Kamini)
Social relations
SR+
The subject as the author is emphasised.
(+C, +F of SR)
Emphasis is placed on students’
dispositions, attributes,
characteristics and backgrounds.
“…the creativity, coming up with concepts, making like a brand…you make the brand alive”
(Nothando) SR-
The subject as the author is downplayed.
(-C, -F of SR)
Students’ dispositions, attributes, characteristics and backgrounds are downplayed.
“everybody finds it easy to get here” (Kamini)
Semantics
Semantic gravity
SG+
Meaning is closely bound to its context.
(+C, +F of SG)
Emphasis is placed on application, practicality, relevance and the usefulness of knowledge in specific contexts or cases.
“We study about things that we see in the market, you know, the things that are happening in front of our eyes, so it’s quite nice to study something that is so practical” (Ben)
SG-
Meaning is less
dependent on its context.
(-C, -F of SG)
Application, practicality, relevance and specific contexts are downplayed in favour of more abstract meanings or ‘theory’.
“There’s this whole…er…I think, custom of rote learning – just study and just spit out the theory with very little application” (Nisha)
Semantic density
SD+
Greater condensation of meaning in symbols.
(+C, +F of SD)
Meaning is not directly or easily accessible.
“Um, sometimes the concepts are hard...I just couldn’t understand it. She explained it, but I couldn’t understand it” (Thuli)
SD-
Less condensation of meaning in symbols.
(-C, -F of SD)
Meaning is more direct and thus more easily accessible.
“Marketing… it’s to the point… There’s no, like, okay, hidden metaphors or semantics used or whatever” (Kiara)
Table continues on next page…
Dimension Aspect61 Concept Description of concept How concept manifests in this study Example from interview data
Autonomy
Positional autonomy
PA+
Stronger insulation from external control.
(+C, +F of PA)
Emphasis is placed on Marketing lecturers having the power to run the discipline of Marketing.
“…I said to [the undergraduate co-ordinator] ‘They don’t buy one textbook, now you want them to buy two textbooks, and in a space of three months or four months you want them to…specialise in both’. So I…I dropped that, and [the co-ordinator]
agreed with that” (Michael) PA-
Weaker insulation from external control.
(-C, -F of PA)
Downplays the power of Marketing lecturers to run the discipline of Marketing.
“I’m not an educationist; I’m a marketing person”
(Michael)
Relational autonomy
RA+
Stronger control over how the field is run.
(+C, +F of RA)
Emphasises ways of working drawn from within academia.
“It all has to do with theory. It’s just everything theory, theory. And then I just wonder, if in the outside world, will they be asking us about the theory?” (Nothando)
RA-
Weaker control over how the field is run.
(-C, -F of RA)
Downplays ways of working from academia, in favour of those from other fields, such as business.
“…‘cos ideally this is a business essay that you’re looking at, you’re marking it from a business perspective” (Nisha)
Temporality
Age
+Ct Older.
(+Ct)
Emphasises age and being long- established.
“...an historical…perfect science like Accounting”
(Michael) -Ct Younger.
(-Ct)
Emphasises youth and recency. “...there’s lots of new areas in [subject] at a third level” (Nisha)
Orientation
+Ft
Backward-looking.
(+Ft).
Greater emphasis on and/or influence from the past, tradition, history, the way things were.
“The one year I had a good class…and I think up ‘til now, I’m still trying to find that standard” (Kamini)
-Ft
Forward-looking.
(- Ft)
Greater emphasis on the future, change, transition, adaptation, moving forward.
“The difficulty they have with Marketing is that moving from…from the present to the future”
(Michael)
Density
Material density
MaD+ Fragmented contents (+C, +F of MaD)
Emphasises size, scale, quantity (e.g.
classes, courses).
“It’s impossible with 250-plus” (Kamini) MaD- Coherent contents
(-C, -F of MoD)
Size, scale and quantity are downplayed.
“it [the curriculum] needs to be pulled together”
(Michael) Moral
density
MoD+ Heterogeneous beliefs (+C, +F of MoD)
Emphasises diversity of viewpoints. “we are given a lot of room to…say our feelings”
(Amantha) MoD- Homogenous beliefs
(C, -F of MoD)
Diversity of viewpoints is downplayed.
“our focus is only on, um, quantitative research”
(Kamini) Based on Chen (2010) and Carvalho (2010)
61 „Rate of change‟ and „differentiation‟ are not included (under Temporality and Density respectively) as these aspects are given by the interaction of the other two aspects of the relevant dimension of legitimation.