I n this s e c ond unit weh a vediscuss e d someof themain qu a litative m e thods of r e s e a r c h in P s y c hol og y , f o c usi n gonhow t h e semethods op e nn e w a nd c ritic a l possibiliti e s re g a rdi n gam o re in - d e pth inqui r ythat p a y s att e ntion to c onstru c tivist, a nthropolo g i c a l, ph e n omenolo g i c a l, discu r sive a nd other "alt e rn a tiv e " e lem e nts (di f f e r e nt f r om m a instr e a m p s y c holo g y a nd stri c t qu a ntitative m e thods) in sp ec ific situations of d a i l ylif e . B e a ri n gthis in min d : Discuss t hei m po r ta n c eof t h e sequalita t iveap p r oa c h e sofi n q u iry in bu ildi n g a nd s ustain i ng a " cr itical psychology"that is int e re st e d inun d er stan d i n gh o w : 1) kn o w ledge is p r od u ce d,us e d and a pp r op r iat e d 2) e xp er ienceis f r a m e d a n d sig n i f ied (d e p e n di n g o n t hesocial, cultural a n d pa r ti c ular c ont e xtof t heg r oup ori n div i dual) 3) the und er lying i d e olog i e s, discou r s e s and re lations ofpo w e ropp re ss, stig m a t i z eor ali e na t e ce r tain s ec tio n s ofsoci e ty. Takei n to a c c ount t he f ollo w i ng w h e n e la b o r a t i ng the e ssay: 1. You w ill noticethatthe r e a re th r e e( 3 )i n t e r e sts i n these a ppr o ac h e s o f inqui r y . I a m i n t e re st e d in t hatyou atleast e la b o r a t eoneof t h e m . I n e sse n ce , the th r e eof th e m a re int er- r e la t e d, so el a bo r a ting a n y o f th e m i n - d e pthwill be e nou g hforthe p u rpos e s of this e ss a y . 2. Th e r e ’s s e v e r a l theo r e ti c a l f r am e wo r ks (from c o n stru c tivist a nd f e minist t h e o r ies to c oloni a l and e thnol o g ic a ltheo r ies) a nd methods (r a n g i n g f rom g roundth e o r yto a n a l y sis ofdiscou r se a nd n a rr a tive a n a l y sis) th a t y ou c a n c hoose f rom in y our e lab o r a tion of qu a litative a pproa c h e sofinqui r y .Altho u g h it w o uld be r ec omm e n d a ble t h a t y ou mention them, I am m o r ei n te re s t e d in t hat you pick o n l y one(a theo r e ti c al f r am e w o r k, pa r adigmor me thod). Pick theonethat f its morewith y o u r int e r e sts or t hew a y y ou make y our a p p ro a c h to a nsw e r this ess a y . 3. R e memb e r th a t thel o g ich e reis to discuss how this a ppro a c h e s ofinqui r y a nd p a rticul a r int e r e sts a re r e lat e d toa m o r e " cr itical" psychology (atleastas Ian P a r k e rd e f i n e s it ) . Useat l e asttwo (2)of t heassign e d te x t s of t he c on f ere n c epo r tion of t he c las s . You a re a lso w e lcom e d to usethe t e x ts a ssi g n e d tothe l a bor a to r ys e c tions, a s long a s th e y a pp l yto y our d i s c ussion. .