Qualitative technique to analyze a social reality: the case of the Association of Artisans of Victoria in Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Abstract

It reflects the completion of one of the first steps regarding a collaboration project between university students, teachers and students and an association of artisan ceramists in a rural parish in the Cotopaxi region in Ecuador, between 2017 and 20120. To the sociologist, author of the article, was asked to collaborate with that project. Surprisingly, the initial obstacle was demonstrating that: the implementation of qualitative methodology gives a good result and that they were no less useful and fruitful than quantitative methodologies. A huge amount of work was needed to explain the qualitative methodology and especially its techniques, ending in a book chapter, not yet published. Thus, a qualitative technique, a brainstorming session, could be carried out with 100 people from the Association. As a result, a series of reflections were collected from the attendees on the past, present and future situations of the association itself and its technical work. These reflections were approved by all attendees and indicated their validity. As a consequence, the appreciation of qualitative methodologies and their techniques on the part of the research team and other teaching colleagues varied, opening up the possibilities of further application of these techniques in the future.