Enduring Themes of Qualitative Family Research

Contemporary qualitative family research has a rich intellectual heritage that provides researchers with ideas and language that guide them in the procedures of their work and helps them to explain to themselves and to others the traditions on which their work is based. The characteristics of qualitative research that I discuss in this article are understanding experiences in context, immersion, interpretations grounded in accounts that individuals provide of their experiences, and research as action oriented. These characteristics have a strong philosophical base that extends from 19th century German philosophy to American pragmatism and interactionism to contemporary research. This article examines this heritage and shows that today's qualitative family researchers stand on the shoulders of giants.