Selecting Appropriate Cases When Tracing Causal Mechanisms

Autor/inn/en	Beach, Derek; Pedersen, Rasmus Brun
Titel	Selecting Appropriate Cases When Tracing Causal Mechanisms
Quelle	In: Sociological Methods & Research, 47 (2018) 4, S.837-871 (35 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0049-1241
DOI	10.1177/0049124115622510
Schlagwörter	Influences; Case Studies; Systems Approach; Selection Criteria; Guidelines; Social Science Research; Research Design + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Influence; Einfluss; Einflussfaktor; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Systemischer Ansatz; Selection criterion; Auslesekriterium; Richtlinien; Social scientific research; Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung; Forschungsdesign
Abstract	The last decade has witnessed resurgence in the interest in studying the causal mechanisms linking causes and effects. This article games through the methodological consequences that adopting a systems understanding of mechanisms has for what types of cases we should select when using in-depth case study methods like process tracing. The article proceeds in three steps. We first expose the assumptions that underpin the study of causal mechanisms as systems that have methodological implications for case selection. In particular, we take as our point of departure the case-based position, where: causation is viewed in deterministic and asymmetric terms, the focus is ensuring causal homogeneity in case-based research to enable cross-case inferences to be made, and finally where mechanisms are understood as more than just intervening variables but instead a system of interacting parts that transfers causal forces from causes to outcomes. We then develop a set of case selection guidelines that are in methodological alignment with these underlying assumptions. We then develop guidelines for research where the mechanism is the primary focus, contending that only typical cases where both X, Y, and the requisite contextual conditions are present should be selected. We compare our guidelines with the existing, finding that practices like selecting most/least-likely cases are not compatible with the underlying assumptions of tracing mechanisms. We then present guidelines for deviant cases, focusing on tracing mechanisms until they breakdown as a tool to shed light on omitted contextual and/or causal conditions. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01