IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/somere/v23y1994i1p22-53.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Where to Begin

Author

Listed:
  • EDWIN AMENTA

    (New York University)

  • JANE D. POULSEN

    (New York University)

Abstract

The problem of selecting independent variables for qualitiative comparative analysis (QCA) is addressed. This is a different problem for QCA than for inferential statistical methods, for both technical and epistemological reasons. Technically, QCA can manipulate only a few variables at one time. Epistemologically, QCA expects causation to work in a combinatorial fashion. The authors isolate and reject four ways of choosing independent variables for QCA and advocate a fifth method, the conjunctural theories approach, which is more compatible with the characteristics of QCA. Their decision is supported by way of discussion and an empirical analysis based on theories of the welfare state and U.S. social spending in the Great Depression.

Suggested Citation

  • Edwin Amenta & Jane D. Poulsen, 1994. "Where to Begin," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 23(1), pages 22-53, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:23:y:1994:i:1:p:22-53
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124194023001002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0049124194023001002
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0049124194023001002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:23:y:1994:i:1:p:22-53. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.