Research Methods in Cultural Studies

These flashcards cover key concepts and terminology related to research methods in cultural studies as discussed in the lecture.

Methodological Pluralism

Choosing research methods eclectically based on the topic/problem.

Quantitative Content Analysis

A research method focusing on the identification of recurrent themes in documents and determining their frequency.

Qualitative Content Analysis

Also known as thematic analysis, it tracks ideas/themes in a text, often yielding subjective results.

Semiotic Analysis

A method of analyzing culture by examining how texts communicate meaning, focusing on both signs and their interpretations.

Sign

The basic unit of meaning in semiotics, consisting of a signifier and a signified.

Signifier

The word, image, sound, or gesture that represents a concept.

Signified

The idea or concept that is represented by the signifier.

Denotation

The literal or obvious meaning of a sign.

Connotation

The implied, cultural or emotional meaning of a sign that can shift over time.

Ethnography

A research method from anthropology that studies particular groups through participant observation and other methods to provide a detailed account of culture.

Autoethnography

Research that reflects the researcher's personal experience with cultural phenomena, embracing subjectivity and emotionality.