Qualitative Analysis

For our final group project, we were responsible for attending an event that we wouldn't normally partake in and provide a qualitative analysis of it. Since qualitative evaluation is not an assignment I have been given many times before, I would take this time to explore its purpose and validity further. 

Related to the topic are the two primary categories of leadership foci: tasks and relationships. To me, qualitative research is focused especially on the relationships. This means that while quantitative data allows us to gather facts on what is physically happening, qualitative data is allowing us to determine the perception of those experiencing these happenings. Emotions are relative to the observer, so it is impossible to capture raw data via quantitative methods. 

However, on this same note, qualitative work is soooo much more subjective, because the results are also relative to the person collecting data. Therefore, I think an important component of collecting these results is repetition. In quantitative work, we need this repetition to reduce the chance of error, but in this assignment, it's important that we have as many looks at it as possible in order to get an overarching view of what the "normal" or "average" opinion is. 

What I really don't like about this project is that we've been instructed to attend something that we wouldn't normally go to. I understand that this is to force us to think beyond our daily routines, but I think analyzing your everyday life with qualitative work may be even more valid. 

In a cultural geography class 1 1/2 years ago I had a "cultural geographer" assignment. We were instructed to look around campus and make observations of what was happening around us using all of our senses and analyzing why things were happening. It made you completely re-think you surroundings and have a greater appreciation of the intricacies of things your body and mind may have naturally become accustomed to. 

A better way to do this political geography project would have been to re-think an event you normally attend by having to analyze it. Yes, it's good to limit this by saying the event has to be pre-approved and/or taking out certain options for events. I think that a qualitative project on a football game would not be very productive, because 1. I highly doubt anyone will take notes during the game and 2. there is already a constant stream of evaluation of what is happening during the game made by you and everyone around you. 

I think that the event sought for this project should be one in which there is no clear structure of the event and there is no unity or clear pattern among the attendees. This makes it much more varied when you have it to analyze it individually and as a group. It would give me more of an appreciation for the difficult aspects of qualitative work. Good examples for projects could be: club meetings, free events/lectures on campus (free = it attracts random people), or volunteer projects in the community which are welcome to a wide audience.