Qualitative research in sociology: 'seeing' social class in qualitative data

This chapter provides newcomers to sociology and novice researchers a clear case of the benefits gained from conducting qualitative research within sociology. It achieves this through an expose of social class - a burgeoning and innovative area of qualitative sociology, but for which there is scant guidance on 'how to' conduct analysis despite the value for reducing inequities and improving outcomes for disadvantaged populations. The style is purposefully introductory and instructive in order to demonstrate using 'worked examples' from real qualitative data and to show how to 'see' social class. Readers will gain a clear process for how to undertake classed analysis and fulfil the chief concern of qualitative sociology - to create knowledge about the social world and inequities within it.