THE CASE-STUDY IN SOCIOLOGY - THE CONTRIBUTION OF METHODOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE FRENCH-LANGUAGE

This paper concerns the case study in sociology, and in the social sci ences in general. The classical definition attributed to the case stud y is examined here by recalling the methodological conflict in sociolo gy, marked by a rift between qualitative and quantitative methods, and by a retrospective look at the well-known case studies that American researchers devoted to French Canada (or Quebec), more particularly to its rural culture whose transformation relates to the 'meeting of two worlds.' The criticism levelled at these case studies are examined, e specially those concerning their presumed lack of representativeness a nd objectivity. This lack was invoked without these terms being really stated or clearly determined. In this article, objectivity is defined as being the detailed account of the methodological strategies and op erations guiding the approach to an object of investigation. Moreover, a distinction is made between statistical representativeness and soci ological representativeness which best determines the generalization v alue of the case study. Finally, while this approach is considered as a study, or even as descriptive theory, this paper shows that descript ion proves essential in the definition of explanatory theories. The ex ample of the case study approach to the French-language economy in Que bec is presented in order to re-examine, in strictly methodological te rms, all the points raised in this paper.