The Rewards of a Qualitative Approach to Life-Course Research. The Example of the Effects of Social Protection Policies on Career Paths

Authors

  • Joan Miquel Verd Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
  • Martí López Andreu Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-12.3.1753

Keywords:

life stories, life-course research, mixed methods, social protection, capability approach

Abstract

This article highlights the benefits of incorporating the qualitative perspective, and in particular the use of life stories, in studies based on the life-course perspective. These benefits will be illustrated using as an example a study of the effects of social protection measures on career paths based on the theoretical underpinnings of SEN's (1987, 1992, 1993) capability approach.

The life-course perspective is a very good methodological option for evaluating the extent to which social protection systems are adapted to the present situation in labor markets, where many trajectories are non-linear and unstable. Studies adopting such a perspective use research designs in which secondary statistical data are central, whereas qualitative data are used little, if at all. This article will explain how these quantitative approaches can be improved by using semi-structured interviews and a formalized qualitative analysis to identify turning points, critical events, transitions and stages, in which social protection measures and resources play a significant role in redressing or channeling personal and career paths. Paying attention to the person and his or her agency—not only at a given time but in a broader perspective that embraces past episodes and projections into the future—is essential in order to consider how individuals use the resources at their disposal and to effectively evaluate the effects of social protection measures.

URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1103152

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Author Biographies

Joan Miquel Verd, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Joan Miquel VERD is associate professor and researcher at the Department of Sociology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). He is member of the Centre d'Estudis Sociològics sobre la Vida Quotidiana i el Treball (QUIT) and the Institut d'Estudis del Treball (IET). His research interests include sociology of labor, social network analysis, narrative and life-course analysis, and qualitative text analysis in general.

Martí López Andreu, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Martí LÓPEZ ANDREU is presently finishing his PhD on work trajectories and changes in workers' resources, using biographical interviews. He is an assistant lecturer of Sociology of Labour and researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). His research focuses on changes in employment and social protection and their effects on individual working lives.

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Published

2011-09-21

How to Cite

Verd, J. M., & López Andreu, M. (2011). The Rewards of a Qualitative Approach to Life-Course Research. The Example of the Effects of Social Protection Policies on Career Paths. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-12.3.1753

Issue

Section

Theoretical and Methodological Reflections on Qualitative Archives and Biographical Research Methods