PRESENTATION OF THE APPLICATION OF QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY TO WILLIAM WHYTE'S STUDY "STREET CORNER SOCIETY"

CHICAGO EXHIBITS ALL FACTORS THAT DEHUMANIZE AN UR AREA; ITS MANY INDUSTRIAL, RACIAL, CLASS, & POLITICAL FEATURES HAVE GIVEN RISE TO A NEW SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH KNOWN AS THE CHICAGO SCHOOL WHICH PRESUPPOSES THE GREATER ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, RELIANCE ON DIRECT CONTACTS BETWEEN THE RESEARCHER & THE LIFE OF THE GROUP, & GREATER FLEXIBILITY THAN THE QUANTITATIVE METHOD WOULD HAVE ALLOWED. IN "CORNERVILLE," WHYTE USED IDEAL TYPES TO PENETRATE DEEPER INTO THE COMMUNITY. WHYTE ATTEMPTED TO ELIMINATE OR IDENTIFY ALL FACTORS WHICH COULD INFLUENCE RESULTS. AMONG THESE WERE THE ORIGIN & STATUS OF THE RESEARCHER, HIS UNDEFINED ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF ETHNIC & LOCAL CUSTOMS, ETC. TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THESE FACTORS DURING THE FIRST 18 MONTHS, WHYTE CONCENTRATED ON 2 ASPECTS: REVIEW OF HISTORY OF THE LOCAL ITALIAN COMMUNITY, & CONVERSATIONS WITH INHABITANTS TO UNCOVER THE NATURE OF THE SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY LIVE. WHYTE CONCLUDED THAT: THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE POPULATION IN WHICH FIELD WORK IS BEING DONE MUST BE ACCEPTED; DIRECT INTERVIEWS & RELATIVE VALUATION OF INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE AVOIDED; ONE MUST KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO ASK, OF WHOM, & WHEN; SUPPORT OF LOCAL LEADERS IS ESSENTIAL; THE EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES OF THE INHABITANTS ARE THE BASIC SUBJECT MATTER FOR SURVEYS OF THIS KIND; & IT IS IMPOSSIBLE & UNDESIRABLE FOR THE RESEARCHER TO SUBMERGE HIMSELF TOTALLY IN THE GROUP HE IS INVESTIGATING. THE OBJECT OF WHYTE'S STUDY WAS TO CLASSIFY INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS ACCORDING TO THEIR SELF-IMAGE & STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY. 2 TABLES. S. KARGANOVIC.