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We address the significance and implications o f the formal tion, possibly even retrograde. After all, qualitative re
entry o f qualitative inquiry into the American Psychologi search has been a fixture in psychological research virtually
cal Association. In our view, the discipline is enriched in since its origins. The seminal work of such figures as
new and important ways. Most prominently, the qualitative Freud, Piaget, Bartlett, Lorenz, and Vygotsky was primar
movement brings with it a pluralist orientation to knowl ily based on qualitative research. And more recent lumi
edge and to practices o f inquiry. Adding to the traditional naries such as Leon Festinger, Stanley Milgram, Philip
view o f knowledge as empirically supported theory are Zimbardo, and Carol Gilligan have also relied on qualita
research practices congenial with varying accounts o f tive endeavors. So what’s new? At the same time, as we
knowledge, including, fo r example, knowledge as herme commonly understand the purpose of research methods,
neutic understanding, social construction, and practice- qualitative approaches are considered rudimentary, even
based experience. Added to the goal o f prediction are “prescientific.” They are frequently faulted for the lack of
investments in increasing cultural understanding, chal interobserver reliability, the absence of standardized mea
lenging cultural conventions, and directly fostering social surement, and their inability to accommodate inferential
change. The qualitative movement also enriches the disci statistics. In effect, they cannot provide a proper grounding
pline as a whole through the special ways in which it for general laws and the promise of prediction. From this
inspires new ranges o f theory, fosters minority inclusion, perspective, we might scarcely be sanguine about the
and invites interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, the emerging enthusiasm for qualitative research.
movement holds promise in terms o f the discipline’s con Yet to view the contemporary qualitative movement
tribution to society at large. Here we focus on the advan through the lens of traditional hypothesis-testing research is
tages o f knowing with others in addition to about them, and to misunderstand the logics, values, and goals that are
on ways in which qualitative work enhances communica represented in the current movement. The movement draws
tion with the society and the world. Realizing these poten from different reservoirs of thought, new sensitivities, and
tials will depend on developments in responsible research expanded conceptions of what psychology might offer the
and reporting, academic and journal policies, along with world. In important respects, the movement also points
the discipline’s capacities fo r appreciating a more com toward a new and more comprehensive vision of the dis
prehensive orientation to inquiry. cipline itself. As we will propose in what follows, the
contemporary movement in qualitative inquiry holds prom
Keywords: qualitative research, pluralism, research meth ise for substantial enrichment of the discipline and its
ods, psychology and society potential contribution to society. To appreciate what is at
stake, we first sketch out some of the major influences
n recent years, an active coalition of psychologists informing the present movement, and several prominent