Studying Japan: Handbook of Research Designs, Fieldwork and Methods

Description

Studying Japan is the first comprehensive guide on qualitative methods, research designs and fieldwork in social science research on Japan. More than 70 Japan scholars from around the world provide an easy-to-read overview on qualitative methods used in research on Japan's society, politics, culture and history. The book covers the entire research process from the outset to the completion of a thesis, a paper, or a book. The authors provide basic introductions to individual methods, discuss their experiences when applying these methods and highlight current trends in research on Japan. The book serves as a foundation for a course on qualitative research methods and is, but can also be used as a reference for all researchers in Japanese Studies, the Social Sciences and Area Studies. It is an essential reading for students and researchers with an interest in Japan! Cover Introduction: Studying Japan 1. Introduction 2. Why this handbook and why now? 3. What this handbook is about 4. Editorial decisions 5. How to use this handbook 6. Structure and content of this handbook 7. Summary and future perspectives Chapter 1 How to begin research: The diversity of Japanese Studies 1. Introduction 2. The importance of personal biography 3. Interrogating the relationship between the person and society 4. Example of the impact of theoretical assumptions on research on contemporary Japan 5. Japanology versus Japanese Studies 6. Practical steps for beginning graduate research on Japan 7. Summary 1.1 Positioning one’s own research in Japanese Studies: Between Area Studies and discipline 1.2 Let the field be your guide Puzzles from the real world From personal experience to a research project The challenge of Japan’s presumed uniqueness Be flexible! 1.3 Studying marriage in Japan: A social anthropological approach Finding a field site Settling in Some final thoughts on taking notes Further reading References Chapter 2 How to ask: Research questions 1. Introduction 2. What is the core of a research question? 3. Types of research questions: The common denominator and specific forms 4. The characteristics of research questions: Relevance, originality and rigour 4.1 Relevance 4.2 Originality 4.3 Rigour 5. How do I develop my research question? 5.1 The process: Ping-ponging back and forth 5.2 Narrowing down your research question: Don’t bite off more than you can chew 6. How the research question affects your methodological choices: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches 7. Summary 2.1 Your research questions may change and that is ok 2.2 Studying Japanese political behaviour and institutions Studying electoral politics and LDP single-party dominance What’s new is what’s old: Public opinion and economic performance Some concluding thoughts 2.3 Capturing social change in Japan Research question first: From the question to the project Struggling with research questions Asking questions about non-change Concluding remarks Further reading References Chapter 3 How to organise research: Research designs 1. Introduction 2. Case studies 3. Different approaches of case studies 4. Selecting cases: Analysis of a single case or multiple cases 5. The Kobe women’s panel study: An evolving project 6. Bounding cases and units of analysis 7. Knowledge production: The theory building and theory testing continuum 8. Summary 3.1 Developing a comparative study: Single women in Hong Kong, Tokyo and Shanghai 3.2 Contained serendipity as fieldwork in Japan: Studying Chinese people in Japan 3.3 The universe of cases: Agricultural cooperatives in Japan as a case study Research project: Studying institutional change in Japan through the lens of agricultural cooperatives Research design Problems and potential solutions General advice Further reading References Chapter 4 How to identify relevant scholarly debates: Reviewing the literature 1. Introduction 2. Reviewing literature: Two kinds of review 3. Getting started: The scope of searching for secondary literature 4. Basic types of sources and their general ambivalence 4.1 Primary sources 4.2 Secondary literature 5. Finding secondary literature 6. Cultivating a sense for the ‘best source’ 7. An inclusive approach to literature: Literature in Japanese and other languages 8. Reading secondary literature: Some practical advice 9. Identifying relevant debates and situating one’s own research 10. Writing the literature review 11. When to start writing 12. Summary 4.1 Looking for sources in all the right places Definitions Secondary sources Primary sources Bookstores in Japan: Some concluding thoughts 4.2 Ambiguity and blurred boundaries: Contextualising and evaluating heterogeneous sources Beyond disciplinarity: Positioning one’s own research Literature research: Hunting for relevant multilingual sources The politics of research: Blurred boundaries and ambiguous sources Engaged scholarship 4.3 Doing migration research in Japan: The roles of scholarly literature Zoning in: Localising the research Reorienting: Continued literature review in the field Zoning out: Situating your study Drawing on publications in Japanese Concluding remarks Further reading References Chapter 5 How to collect data: An introduction to qualitative Social Science methods 1. Introduction 2. What qualitative data collection methods are there? 3. What is each method useful for? 4. Which data collection method should you select for your research? 5. How to prepare your research? 6. How to position yourself when collecting data? 7. Summary 5.1 Participant observation and interviews: Going with the flow and dipping in and out Project methods Problems and ongoing problem-solving General advice 5.2 Transnational research in Japan Studies—an oxymoron? Studying cross-border labour mobility in globalising Japanese production organisations Transnational research design: Following the staffing agencies and tracing mobility patterns Qualitative interviewing methods Patterns of cross-border labour mobility: The case of JiaIi Kobayashi Conclusion 5.3 ‘Bullseye view on happiness’: A qualitative interview survey method Access to the field and the interviewees Experimental design: Coming to terms with happiness Reflections Further reading References Chapter 6 How to do fieldwork: Studying Japan in and outside of Japan 1. Introduction 2. Getting started: Connecting with a Japanese university 3. Forging new ties in Japan 4. Pitches 5. Written self-introductions 6. Who you are matters 7. Go for the ask 8. Fieldwork stuff: Practical considerations 9. Fieldwork tips 10. Strategies for notetaking and storing data 11. The all-important thank you 12. Ethnography in and outside Japan via social media 13. Ethical concerns 14. Conclusion 6.1 The cosmology of fieldwork: Relationship building, theoretical engagement and knowledge production in Japan Anthropology The practice of fieldwork Maintaining relationships The cosmology of fieldwork 6.2 A mobilities approach to ‘Japan’ fieldwork 6.3 Building arguments on national policies from everyday observations Studying national policies on the local level Open-ended field research Further reading References Chapter 7 How to interview people: Qualitative interviews 1. Introduction 2. Qualitative interviews 3. Choosing the ‘right’ type of interview and questions 4. Selecting and finding interviewees 5. Preparing interviews: Location, timing and things to bring 6. Deciding on the language 7. The process of interviewing: Listening, contradictions and (non-)verbal expressions 8. Negotiating interviewer–interviewee relations and reflexivity 9. Recording, taking notes and (not) transcribing 10. Following up and keeping in touch 11. Summary 7.1 The empire of interviews: Asking my way through Japan Interview strategies Recording and ethics 7.2 The art of interviewing: A Japanese perspective What are qualitative interviews? What can we learn from qualitative interviews? The art of interviewing 7.3 Talking through difficult topics Further reading References Chapter 8 How to observe people and their environment: Participant observation 1. Introduction 2. What is participant observation all about? 3. Participant observations in Japan: From the 16th to the 21st century 4. Selecting field sites 5. Gaining access 6. Ethical implications 7. Positioning oneself in the field 8. Cell phones, writing pads and field notes 9. Summary 8.1 Of serendipities, success and failure and insider/outsider status in participant observation How to observe Challenges during preparation and implementation General recommendations 8.2 Doing and writing affective ethnographya 8.3 Reflections on fieldwork in post-bubble Japan: Gender, work and urban space Framing the fields Selecting sites and sampling subjects Ethics and positioning in the field Further reading References Chapter 9 How to access written and visual sources: Archives, libraries and databases 1. Introduction 2. General hints on how to approach and operate library catalogues 2.1 Where to start your search? 2.2 How to search the library catalogue 2.3 How to search for Japanese language content in catalogues 2.4 Japan-related library reference tools 3. Libraries in Japan 4. Archives in Japan 4.1 Regional public archives (chihō kōbunshokan) 4.2 Archives and collections of other public institutions: Libraries, museums, universities 5. Final comment 9.1 Clever approaches to tricky sources: How to extract information from business archives and war memorials Private archives: Business archives Public space as an archive: War memorials Summary 9.2 Writing transnational history through archival sources Discovering the transnational in the sources Designing a transnational study Some advice 9.3 Accessing quantitative data for qualitative research: White Papers, official statistics and micro datasets White Papers in Japan: Characteristics and access Official macro statistics via e-Stat Accessing micro datasets from data archives Final remarks Further reading References Chapter 10 How to combine methods: Mixed methods designs 1. Introduction 2. What are mixed methods designs? 3. Overcoming the qualitative–quantitative divide: A pragmatic approach 4. Combining qualitative and quantitative data: Three core designs 5. Practical advice 5.1 Getting started with your research 5.2 How to collect data 5.3 How to analyse your data 5.4 How to present and report your findings 5.5 Stumbling blocks and how to avoid them 6. Summary: Prospects and challenges 10.1 Reflections on multi-method research 10.2 Texts, voices and numbers: Using mixed methods to sketch social phenomena Researching friendship Triangulating with contemporary literature Adding a quantitative lens Conclusion 10.3 Examining facts from different angles: The case of the deregulation of employment relations in Japans Questions as a starting point Tuning the interpretation via triangulation Importance of the historical context Summary Further reading References Chapter 11 How to analyse data: An introduction to methods of data analysis in qualitative Social Science research 1. Introduction 2. Qualitative data analysis and the research process 3. Approaches to data analysis 4. Steps in the analysis: From data to theories 4.1 Transcribing and exploring the data 4.2 Summarising and identifying the first themes 4.3 Coding 4.4 Identifying patterns and structures 5. Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS): Pros and cons 6. Ensuring the quality of data analysis: Reflexivity, validity and reliability 7. Data analysis with Japanese language material 8. Concluding remarks 11.1 Negotiating the ethics of gathering research data in a subcultural context 11.2 Researching sex and the sexuality of Japanese teenagers: The intricacies of condom use 11.3 Studying economic discourse Introduction Employee well-being in China and Japan Monetary policy Text-mining tools Conclusion Further reading References Chapter 12 How to make sense of data: Coding and theorising 1. Introduction 2. Grounded theory as one framework for coding 3. A blueprint for the process of coding 4. Data collection: What counts as data? 5. Identifying and isolating codes and concepts: Initial/open coding 6. How to do initial coding? 7. In vivo coding 8. Developing concepts: Focused/selective coding 9. How much is enough? Theoretical saturation 10. Coding as theory: Theoretical coding 11. Practical considerations: memos and diagrams 12. Conclusion 12.1 Cresting the wave of data Coding Themes 12.2 Lost in translation? Grounded theory and developing theoretical concepts Grounded theory and coding Grounded in the data or forced onto it? Absent or grounded in the data? Co-construction, self-reflexivity and cultural translation 12.3 Coding: Mapping the mountains of ethnographic post-disaster data Further reading References Chapter 13 How to systematise texts: Qualitative content and frame analysis 1. Introduction 2. What are qualitative content analysis and frame analysis? 3. Getting started: Don’t wait! 4. The logic behind the methods and research design 4.1 Interpretivist accounts 4.2 Correlational or causal accounts 5. Units of analysis 6. Coding, categories and concepts 7. Manual versus computer-assisted analysis and feasibility 8. Presenting qualitative content analysis and frame analysis findings 9. Reliability and validity: Annotating and documenting the analysis 10. Summary 13.1 Qualitative content analysis: A systematic way of handling qualitative data and its challenges 13.2 Analysis of biographical interviews in a transcultural research process Confusion Decision Prospects 13.3 Qualitative content analysis and the study of Japan’s foreign policy Further reading References Chapter 14 How to understand discourse: Qualitative discourse analysis 1. Introduction 2. What is discourse? 3. What is discourse analysis? 4. How to conduct discourse analysis? Key steps 1–3: Decide on a research topic, explore its context and find a research question Key steps 4–6: Clarify if and what type of DA to use and define key concepts Key step 7: Select sources Key steps 8–9: Find formal (and linguistic) structures and situate statements in their situational and material context Key step 10: Interpreting data 5. Summary 14.1 Media buzzwords as a source of discourse analysis: The discourse on Japan’s herbivore men Introduction Step one: The broader theoretical picture Step two: The socio-economic context Step three: Material for analysis Step four: Identifying the actors of discourse Step five: Content analysis Step six: Conclusive evaluation of discourse 14.2 Analysing affect, emotion and feelings in fieldwork on Japan Discourse and emotion The sensorial and affect Interactive approaches Conclusion 14.3 From buzzwords to discourse to Japanese politics Political discourse in Japan and the discourse on the work-style reform Salience Content and context Concluding remarks Further reading References Chapter 15 How to finish: Writing in a stressful world 1. Introduction 2. Getting started 3. Engaging with theory 3.1. PhD dissertations 3.2. Journal articles 3.3. Books 4. Establishing good habits for writing 4.1 Avoid writing myths 4.2. Writing routines 4.3. Write with others 5. Managing mental health 6. Conclusions 15.1 Training your ‘writing muscle’: Writing constantly and theoretically Write as you go Making writing social Writing to different audiences Conclusion 15.2 Writing stories The power of stories Storify but don’t get carried away Conclusion 15.3 Writing about Japans Further reading References Chapter 16 How to conduct reliable and fair research: Good research practice 1. Introduction 2. What constitutes reliable and fair research? 3. Good practice during the research process 3.1 Research design and data collection 3.2 Data practices and management 3.3 Presenting research results: Things to remember before and while writing 4 Closing remarks: Towards open Japan(ese) Studies 16.1 Fairness in research and publishing: The balancing act of cultural translation Navigating ‘local moral worlds’ Writing ethnographies and balancing voices Final thoughts: The balancing act of cultural translation 16.2 Digital oral narrative research in Japan: An engaged approach Selection of topic Modes of engagement Contact and research design Relationships with stakeholders, collection of data and written release forms Dissemination of research results 16.3 Writing for publication: Eight helpful hints Further reading References Chapter 17 How to present findings: Presenting and publishing 1. Introduction: Reaching your audience 2. Think about your audience(s)! 3. Reaching an academic audience 3.1 Conferences and workshops 3.2 Academic journals 3.3 From dissertations to books 3.4 Beware of predators 3.5 Promoting your publications 4. Reaching a broader audience 4.1 Talking with journalists 4.2 Publishing for a general audience 4.3 Film and video 4.4 Sharing data 4.5 Connecting with a community 5. Conclusions: Balancing goals 17.1 Finding an audience: Presenting and publishing in Japanese Studies Choosing where and how to publish or present Conference presentations Some publishing problems: Edited volumes, language concerns General advice 17.2 Ethnographic film and fieldwork on active ageing in rural Japan Pre-production: What story did we want to tell? Post-production: What story were we going to tell? Challenges and what we learned Conclusion: It’s a wrap! 17.3 Weird and wonderful: Popularising your research on Japan Further reading References Notes on contributors