Qualitative research on family relationships

Abstract

Qualitative approaches are excellent ways to investigate family dynamics and family relationships. In the present study, we identify four goals in which qualitative methods benefit researchers: (1) obtaining family members’ meanings about family interactions and relationships; (2) acquiring family insiders’ views about relational processes and observing family interactions; (3) examining families within contexts; and (4) giving voice to marginalized families and family members. Qualitative methods often yield extraordinarily rich data and exceed quantitative approaches for achieving some research goals. We examine how qualitative research may enhance scholarship on family relationships, highlighting selected studies on structurally diverse families as examples.