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INNOVATIONS IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

These include work by:

Jane Dixon, who uses a sociological imagination in two ways: a) she applies existing theories in new ways to explain the genesis and persistence of social inequalities in health; and b) she builds theory and testable propositions using a grounded theory approach.  

Reflecting the first stream of work: Along with Sarah Hinde and Cathy Banwell she is applying cultural economy theory to analyse the actors and social processes responsible for social trends - for example, car reliance and convenience foods - that have an impact on public health. Cultural economy addresses concepts previously presumed to be the domain of economics such as production, exchange, capital accumulation, competition and consumption. It expands upon ‘black box' assumptions within economics, like utility and choice, and draws upon ideas usually associated with anthropology, sociology and cultural studies, including discourse, identity, social reproduction, legitimation, aesthetics, conventions and appreciation. The role of cultural intermediaries, including marketing and advertising agencies in imbuing goods and services with meaning, is a key focus for analysis. In addition, with Cathy Banwell and Dorothy Broom, she is applying concepts of social contagion to explain the social and spatial transmission of health inequalities.

Reflecting the second stream of work: Through many years of documenting transformations in food systems, she has developed a recognised theory of market actors as authorities. And with Cathy Banwell and Dorothy Broom she is integrating Bourdieu's theory of social distinction and a theory of social contagion to qualitatively model the spread of modern health risks. With colleagues at CSIRO and Cathy Banwell she is attempting to operationalise culture so that there can be a contemporaneous analysis of spatial, temporal and cultural scales within complex systems.