Mysteries and Qualitative Research? Review of Mats Alvesson and Dan Kärreman’s Qualitative Research and Theory Development: Mystery as Method

Authors

Tom Strong, University of CalgaryFollow

Abstract

In an era of postmodern and social constructionist thought, qualitative researchers have experienced method as a mess. This time of conflict and tension has contributed to concerns and questions about researchers’ interpretive and reflexive contributions to the study of social reality. Into these confusing times, Mats Alvesson and Dan Kärreman, social constructionist researchers, take a novel approach to how qualitative research can inform theory development. They suggest researchers embrace the mysteries when trying to make sense of social situations by taking a reflective and interpretive approach towards their empirical material to create results that can challenge established theory and thus inspire novel lines of theory development.

Keywords

Qualitative Research, Social Constructionist, Postmodernity, and Metanarratives

Publication Date

3-5-2012

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2012.1801

Recommended APA Citation

Strong, T. (2012). Mysteries and Qualitative Research? Review of Mats Alvesson and Dan Kärreman’s Qualitative Research and Theory Development: Mystery as Method. The Qualitative Report, 17(10), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2012.1801