Roundtable: Whither Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in Criminology?

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Almost 30 years ago, Charles Ragin (1987) proposed a method, qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), to analyze a small-to-medium-size number of cases that bridges qualitative case methods and traditional quantitative analysis. Yet, as of May 2016, only 13 of 571 peer-reviewed journal articles using QCA were in the legal studies and criminology area, with only six appearing in sociology/criminology/criminal justice journals, and only half of these using the small-to-medium-size N for which the method was intended (COMPASSS 2016). Based on our experience using QCA to assess institutional anomie theory in two studies, we believe the method has great potential in assessing and reconstructing macro-level theories in criminology. The purpose of our roundtable is to share our experiences using QCA, to learn about other research being conducted using QCA, and to explore the potential of QCA for criminology.

Sub Unit

• Area XIII: Roundtable Sessions

Chair

• Amanda Kahl Smith, University of Michigan - Flint

Discussants

• Susan M. Carlson, Western Michigan University

• Amanda Kahl Smith, University of Michigan - Flint