UNIT OF ANALYSIS IN CULTURAL HISTORICAL ACTIVITY THEORETICAL RESEARCH: CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE METHODOLOGICAL DILEMMAS?Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch

University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Purpose

Address methodological dilemmas related to the unit of analysis that investigators encounter while engaging in research from a Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) research

Not about uniformity, start an open discussion

Why have this discussion?

Methodological dilemmas in CHAT research are unavoidable because investigators need to find a balance between their epistemological beliefs and methodological decisions in their work (Stetsenko, 2010)

CHAT scholars embrace a generous stance understanding how people learn/develop and are interested in human activity in real-world settings

At the same time in research, a manageable unit of analysis has to be identified to guide methodological decisions for data collection, analysis, and reporting

Why focus on the unit of analysis? Unit of analysis is a conceptual tool for guiding

investigators to engage in meaningful and systematic observations and analyses

Unit of analysis can be individuals, groups, artifacts, interactions among individuals, or any other bounded system defined by the investigator (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2002; Stake 1995)

Guides methodological decisions for investigator as a human instrument (Lincoln and Guba, 1985) to take responsibility identifying what constitutes a meaningful and relevant data

Plan for this Presentation

Run through epistemological assumptions

Examine how the unit of analysis is defined within CHAT

Refer to three sample works and how authors identified the unit of analysis and engaged in the investigation

Discuss areas that need responsible, thoughtful, and purposeful methodological decisions guided by CHAT epistemology and study situation

Epistemological AssumptionsCelebrate widened scope and context of learning/development

Human learning and development is complex, organic, reciprocal through mediated action (Vygotsky, 1978)

Mediated action is a sociocultural process where human beings interact with artifacts, cultural tools, peers, and social setting (Cole, 1996; Gauvain, 2001; Tobach et al., 1997; Wertsch, 1991; Wertsch, 1998)

More Epistemological AssumptionsCelebrate widened scope and context of learning/development

Learning and development is inseparable from its context (Lave,1988; Rogoff, 1990)

Learning and development takes place in everyday settings through practice (Chaiklin & Lave, 1993; Lave & Wenger, 1991)

Human cognition is distributed among social others, cultural artifacts, and shared cognition (Salomon, 1993; Wells, 1999)

And More Epistemological AssumptionsCelebrate widened scope and context of learning/development

Learning and development is expansive and participatory while participants encounter contradictions (Engeström, 1989, 1993; Engeström & Sannino, 2010)

Human identity development takes place within multiple contexts and is mediated through conceptual and physical cultural artifacts (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, Cain; 1998)

CHAT Conversations about Unit of Analysis

Unit of Analysis is… Mediated action (Rogoff,1995; Wertsch, 1991) Human activity (Leontiev, 1974), including

both observable and mental activities (Galperin, 1992)

Can be…. Distributed among individuals, artifacts,

context (Engeström, 1987; Wertsch 1991) Collective, joint activities with shared objects

(Engeström, 2001)

Analytic FrameworksEfforts for Bringing Ideas Together for Engaging in Research

Efforts made by activity theorists creating analytic categories to examine interactions between human beings and their social environment (Scribner, 1997) Object-Oriented Activity (Leontiev, 1974) Goal-Directed Actions (Leontiev, 1974) Orienting-Activity (Galperin, 1992)

More Analytic FrameworksEfforts for Bringing Ideas Together for Engaging in Research

Other analytic categories Activity Settings (Gallimore & Tharp, 1990) Activity Systems (Engeström, 1987) Four Levels of Inner Contradictions (Engeström,

1987, 1993) Expansive Learning Cycles and Three Generations of

Activity Theory (Engeström; 1996, 2001) Legitimate Peripheral Participation (Lave & Wenger,

1991) Three Planes of Sociocultural Analysis (Rogoff, 1995) Figured Worlds (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, Cain,

1998)

Discussion of Sample StudiesSelection Criteria

Relied on CHAT in the theoretical framework, data analysis, and discussion

In the methods, the authors used one or more of the CHAT analytical framework to guide data collection and analysis

The authors shared discussions that showed a concern for identifying the unit of analysis in CHAT

Examining Three Studies

Foot (2001) Igira & Aanestad

(2009)

Yamagata-Lynch &

Haudenschild (2009)

Research Purpose

Tracing activities of a large multinational human sociopolitical network

Tracing evolving contradictions in a evolving healthcare practices related to the development of a new information system

Identifying teacher perspectives of contradictions in professional development

Approach to Human Activity through CHAT

Examine human activity as object-oriented activity to analyze contradictions

Examine human activity within social context and historically evolving contradictions

Examine human activity as a complex phenomenon shared among individuals and institutions

Examining of Three Studies

Foot (2001) Igira & Aanestad

(2009)

Yamagata-Lynch &

Haudenschild (2009)

Unit of Analysis Entire multinational network

Network of activities initiated and engaged by multiple subjects in healthcare network that were revealed in the data

Distinct units of activities initiated by different subjects that were revealed in the data

Analytical Framework

Contradictions Activity systems and contradictions

Four levels of inner contradictions and joint activity systems similar to second generation

Examining of Three Studies

Foot (2001) Igira & Aanestad

(2009)

Yamagata-Lynch &

Haudenschild (2009)

Investigator Participation Level

Participatory, but no description of degree of participation

Participatory, but no description of degree of participation

Observer

Data Collection Methods

Ethnographic, participant observation, interviews, and discussion in the field

Ethnographic, observations, interviews, informal talks, and document analysis

Naturalistic inquiry, semi-structured interviews and document analysis

Examining of Three Studies

Foot (2001) Igira & Aanestad

(2009)

Yamagata-Lynch &

Haudenschild (2009)

Analysis Thematic with focus on observable discoordinations in collective network activities

Triangulated data and identified contradictions in participant healthcare activities and mapped expansive cycle

Constant comparative method, thick description, identified activity systems and inner contradictions

Conclusions Network contradictions were related to sociopolitical and economic concerns

Healthcare system development was complex and difficult to represent in sequential models

Teachers perceived difficulties in professional development (PD) when they did not share objects for PD with school district

Overall Characteristics

Research purpose are open ended, exploratory, and relies on participant and researcher experiences in the field

Unit of analysis is broad in scope, emergent, and situational to the study

Data collection methods are primarily qualitative

Research approach can be participatory or descriptive

Unclear how the unit of analysis affected data analysis

Data Collection DilemmasClarifying Role of the Unit of Analysis

Drawing boundaries in human activities during data collection while embracing generous scope and emergent nature of research purpose Access opportunity to data Time,

established relations, and professional roles Investigator engagement level collecting

data while participating in evolving activities

Focusing on what is data sorting data while its exponential growth

Analysis DilemmasClarifying Role of the Unit of Analysis

Drawing purposeful boundaries in analysis by relying on research purpose/question, emergent findings, and analytical frameworks Thematic analysis search for potential

bounded systems while making sense of as much data as possible

Organize data find narratives that are meaningful and relevant to research purpose/question guided by emergent findings

Analysis DilemmasClarifying Role of the Unit of Analysis

Identify bounded systems rely on analytical framework to identify bounded units that can be analyzed and discussed in research report

Ensure participant voices are heard examine bounded units in analysis and ensure they represent participant perspectives

Reporting DilemmasClarifying Role of the Unit of Analysis

Reporting a messy real-world situation in a communicative format Preparing descriptions act of engaging in

CHAT research may be messy and participatory, but reporting that involves storytelling need to be descriptive with a beginning, middle, and an end (Eisner, 2008, Hatch, 2002)

ConclusionsWhere are we now?

Collectively we have a strong professional discourse regarding CHAT epistemology

We tend to not spend time on discussing methodological issues including the dilemmas associated to how to work with the generous scope of our epistemology that is reflected in our unit of analysis, and how that affects our approach to data collection, analysis, and reporting

Where can we start discussions?