Social constructions of change: qualitative methods for analysing developmental processes

Abstract

First some reasons are mentioned for using qualitative methods in developmental research. Some features of the qualitative research process are discussed, followed by a short overview of some qualitative methods appropriate to the study of developmental processes - either in parallel using ethnographic methods or retrospectively using methods based on narrative. The episodic interview is briefly presented as an example. It was used in a study of technological change in everyday life in different cultures, which showed how development was changed by new technologies entering the socialization processes. The second topic is the feeling expressed by many parents in these interviews of being overtaken by their children, who acquire computer skills much more quickly and more comprehensively.