Interpretive Process Tracing (QMMR C)

Session Submission Type: Short Course Half Day

Session Description

This short course outlines the logic and best practices of interpretive process tracing, with a particular focus on practice tracing; it provides students with advice and examples to enable them to use this method in their work. The course does not require any prior background in interpretive epistemology or training in interpretive analysis.

We begin, meta-theoretically and conceptually, by building on the practice turn in sociology and political science. Epistemologically, practice tracing combines continental interpretism with American pragmatism. Ontologically, practice tracing is built on a relational understanding of the social world, which places the analytic focus squarely on process. Proceeding from these meta-theoretical priors, process is now understood as social practices or ways of doing things. We consider various instances of such practices, with examples ranging from the politics of international organizations to the dynamics of identity construction.

The core of the course then examines how we can empirically measure and access social practices, using the data to conduct practice tracing. We start with ethnography and political ethnography, viewed by many as the ‘gold standard’ for accessing social practices. However, we also consider interpretive interviews and document analysis as additional methods to measure practices. In all cases, we consider the practical, data quality and ethical challenges of doing the practice tracing; this sets the stage for articulating an emerging set of best practices for interpretive process tracing.

We conclude this part of the course by sketching the cutting-edge challenges for interpretive process tracing: (1) expanding its understanding of process to capture better insights from related techniques – following methods, for example; and (2) adding ethical reflexivity to how we go about accessing-measuring-seeing ‘process.’

The course’s final hour is devoted to small-group breakout sessions, where participants workshop how they plan to use interpretive process tracing / practice tracing in their research. Are there meta-theoretical, data access, data collection, data analysis or ethical issues with which they are grappling? Instructors and fellow students will offer constructive advice on how best to address such challenges.

Instructor Bio

Jeffrey T. Checkel: Checkel is a professor at the European University Institute, where he holds the Chair in International Relations. His research interests include international relations theory, international institutions, civil war, identity/identity-formation and qualitative methods. At EUI, he offers seminars on international relations theory, international institutions, qualitative methods, and philosophies of social science. Most years since 2014, Checkel has co-taught the foundational APSA short course on ‘The Logic and Best Practices of Process Tracing.’

Sub Unit

• Pre-Conference Short Courses

Chair

• Jeffrey T. Checkel European University Institute

Presenter

• Jeffrey T. Checkel European University Institute