Critical Quantitative Scholarship: Learning from Complex Interactions through a Person-Oriented Lens

• In Event: Doing Critical Quantitative Research: Methodological Commitments to Equity and Justice

Abstract

Objectives

Intersectionality has been widely applied in academic research across various disciplines to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and intersecting forms of societal oppression faced by individuals with marginalized identities (Collins & Bilge, 2020; Crenshaw, 2013; Harris & Patton, 2019; McCall, 2005). Intersectionality theory is often applied in qualitative research, where critical theories emphasize the use of counter-narratives to examine societal oppressions (Bowleg, 2008).

Critical quantitative scholars, however, have argued that intersectional approaches should be integrated into quantitative studies (Bauer et al., 2021; Covarrubias & Velez, 2013), and two- or three-way interaction terms (e.g., gender, race, and social class) are often applied in regression (Scott & Siltanen, 2017). Interpreting these terms can be challenging, and small sample sizes may lead to their exclusion from the analysis. Due to these limitations, we found that a person-oriented approach, rather than a variable-oriented approach on relationships between variables, provides a valuable framework for addressing complex interactions involving individuals with multiple intersecting identities.

Theoretical Foundations

Although the person-oriented approach has been discussed outside the realm of critical quantitative scholarship, it has been applied in developmental research to examine varying patterns of behaviors (von Eye & Bogat, 2006). While many traditional quantitative methods focus on variables (e.g., high self-efficacy leads to high performance), a person-centered approach seeks to discover the types of individuals who exhibit similar behavioral patterns. This approach lends itself to capturing complex interactions. For example, Gustafson and Magnusson (1991) found that there was a subgroup of girls from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families who showed high abilities. Those were girls whose parents had high expectations for their children and had a high estimation of their children's abilities. This subgroup would not have been detected using a variable-oriented approach, because traditional analytical methods—particularly those that are regression-based—would have yielded a negative relationship between SES and achievement. Person-oriented approach can be useful when trying to understand complex interactions between variables, understand subgroups within groups (e.g., different behavioral patterns among girls), and understand individual specificity. Critical quantitative researchers can apply this method to explore intersectional identities, shifting away from the illusion of averages.

Methods and Findings

In this symposium, we will illustrate the data analysis process using the person-oriented approach with our study as an example. We investigated how to increase women’s participation in STEM majors, focusing on social class, cultural capital, and college rank—key factors in Korea, especially social class, which strongly influences education and career paths. Specifically, we used four key variables: parental occupation, parental STEM background, college rank, and student gender. By applying the person-oriented approach, we demonstrate that gender disparities in access to STEM higher education must be examined in relation to parental backgrounds and the prestige of universities. Finally, we will discuss potential areas for future research that can incorporate the person-oriented approach in quantitative studies.

Authors

• Hyun Kyoung Ro, Korea University

• Bora Lee, Korea University