Martin Bulmer

Introduced me to the idea of triangulation which is use a range of research methods to counter the weakness of the others to get a richer understanding of the issue. It also started the thinking for me of the weakness of experimental method and of an ideology of physical sciences methodology that chaos theory and quantum physics have long since challenged. As a book it also opened my eyes to the richness and complexity of the ordinary. And the danger of trusting polls based on what people say as trying to rush off to work rather then what their actual behaviour is. Hence for me deep participative-observant studies of what the terrorist movement or street gang is will give us a more profound understanding of why the behaviour/views occur. It also shows that the first step to the holocaust is to demonise the other. But linked to a statistically representative questionnaire sample that tests a clear hypothesis from the field work and then we are cooking! All this and more in this book… (more)