Thematic Session 3
Qualitative & Mixed-Methods Futures: Innovations in Design, Data Collection, and Visual Analysis
Moderator
Dr. Leslie V. Advincula-Lopez
Chair, Department of Development Studies
April 22, 2026 (Wednesday)
3:30 PM – 5:15 PM
This subtheme highlights the evolution of non-quantitative inquiry. This session showcases creative and rigorous advancements in ethnographic practice, archival research, and the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data.
Topics of Interest: Digital ethnography and virtual fieldwork, photovoice and sensory methods, narrative and discourse analysis frameworks, best practices for achieving synergy in mixed-methods studies, and innovations in presenting complex qualitative findings.
Key Question: How are researchers making qualitative inquiry more robust, adaptable, and ethically sensitive in rapidly changing social environments?
Using Narrative Analysis to Understand Community Transformation.
Mendiola
Teng-Calleja, PhD
Department of Psychology
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Marshaley J. Baquiano
University of Guam
Jaimee Felice
Caringal-Go, PhD
Department of Psychology
Raymond Edmidio Victor Ramos
Department of Psychology
Jason O. Manaois
Mindanao State University –
Iligan Institute of Technology
Josef Nikolai T. Calleja
Department of Psychology
Josephine P. Perez
Department of Psychology
The study examined personal stories and publicly shared narratives about community transformation among beneficiaries/partners of six non-government organizations in the Philippines. We conducted 16 focus groups and three interviews to collect data, employing an integrated approach to narrative analysis for interpretation. We identified four key narratives that weave together the participants' personal and public stories of transformation within their communities: narrative of agency and empowerment, narrative of drivers in community transformation, narrative of transformation challenges, and narrative of transformed lives. These narratives intertwine personal, interpersonal, and social dimensions, highlighting not only their understanding of community transformation but also the identities that emerge throughout the process.
Weberian approach for a mixed-methods research design: The roles of Verstehen, empirical regularity, multicausal explanation, and typological level of analysis in analyzing the economic miracle in the Republic of Korea
Marjorie S. Muyrong, PhD
Department of Economics
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Dr. Ma. Regina Hechanova
Department of Psychology
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That Max Weber has heavy influence in contemporary sociology is undisputed. Yet, one aspect of Weberian sociology that had not gain traction is the explicit use of Verstehen as a tool of analysis. Rather, Verstehen had been cloaked under the prominence of the Protestant ethic thesis and broader Sociology of Religion. However, Weber’s methodological writings show the plausible use of Verstehen alongside ideal-typical analysis in contemporary sociology to analyze contemporary factors affecting economic behavior. Thus, a Weberian approach for a mixed-methods research design that implements a qualitative process tracing analysis alongside a quantitative regression analysis with the aim of establishing a causal relationship between nationalism and economic growth in the Republic of Korea (ROK). First, the applicability of Weberian sociological principles (i.e., empirical regularity, multicausal explanation, and typological level of analysis) to both tools is argued. Then, it is shown how both tools may be modified to become Weberian. More specifically, process tracing is modified not only to explicitly include non-economic meanings behind economic actions observed in ROK during the period of rapid industrialization in the 1960s-1970s but also to allow for non-linear conjunctural mechanisms. The inclusion of non-economic factors is already a usual practice in economic regression analysis. Using the national identity modules of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP), I run income variables on nationalism variables for the period 1990s-2010s. The Weberian element comes from the alignment between the need for empirical regularity, multicausal explanation, and typological level of analysis in doing both ideal-typical analysis and regression analysis.
From Geneva and Washington, DC, to Pasay City: The Evolution of Research from Deficit-Based to Strength-Based Models
Dr. Leonardo A.
Lanzona, Jr
Department of Economics
This proposal situates my research within a transition from deficit-based diagnostics to a strength-based development framework. My earlier and ongoing work on tasks, institutions, and the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) has been grounded in deficit-based approaches. This body of research has systematically identified key constraints: mismatches between worker skills and industry demands (David Autor, 2013), institutional bottlenecks to inclusive growth (Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson, 2012), and gaps in identification systems that limit access to services and labor market participation (World Bank, 2018). These studies provide a rigorous empirical foundation by clarifying what is missing and where policy intervention is most needed.
The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate that such deficit-based research is not an endpoint, but a necessary foundation for a strength-based approach to local economic development. In the case of my on-going research in Pasay City, the insights generated from identifying constraints are used to reveal underutilized assets and latent capabilities. Building on the capabilities perspective (Amartya Sen, 1999), the proposed strength-based framework shifts the focus toward what workers, firms, and institutions are already able to do, particularly within Pasay’s tourism, logistics, and business service sectors.
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While both approaches rely on detailed task-level and institutional analysis (Marcel Timmer & Gaaitzen de Vries, 2025), they differ in purpose. Deficit-based models diagnose and prioritize constraints; strength-based models mobilize existing capacities for upgrading and innovation. By linking the two, the presentation argues that effective local development planning must move from identifying gaps to strategically leveraging strengths, using deficit-based insights as a springboard for building a more inclusive and dynamic economy in Pasay.
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Navigating the Ethical Gaze: Visualizing Sociological Research into Photo-Essays on New Consumer Cultures in Metro Manila
Aaron R. Vicencio
Department of Communication
TBA
Family, Peer, and Teacher Relationships of Students with and without Bullying Experiences: A Qualitative Study
Katrina Santos
Department of Psychology
TBA