This open access book provides methodological devices and analytical
frameworks for the study of societies in transformation. It explores a
central paradox in the study of change: making sense of change requires
long-term perspectives on societal transformations and on the different
ways people experience social change, whereas the research carried out
to study change is necessarily limited to a relatively short space of
time. This volume offers a range of methodological responses to this
challenge by paying attention to the complex entanglement of qualitative
research and the metanarratives generally used to account for change.
Each chapter is based on a concrete case study from different parts of
the world and tackles a diversity of topics, analytical approaches, and
data collection methods. The contributors' innovative solutions provide
valuable tools and techniques for all those interested in the study of
change.