Hmmmm....I see it as "valuable" in this vein only. I'm sure she is very proud of her efforts--she put in a lot more dedication to her senior project than any high schooler I know. However, I do agree that the reactions were very much tailored to her so I have doubts as to how much this can be generalized. I was particularly intrigued by her saying that someone made the statement, "Well, it was bound to happen." Bound to happen to whom? To a girl who had a long-term boyfriend? To a girl who was fast? To her, Gaby? Depending on how the reactionary comments were meant, they could illuminate how people feel about a particular type of teenager (and like it was said on the first page, those are sucky yet expected reactions) or if they were all personalized, then the only person who would be enlightened is the girl who did it. Now she knows what others think of her. That's great but it's not the big step toward change that she said she hoped she made.

And I agree about the boyfriend's parents being let in on the secret. There probably was a huge sense of loss after 6 months of thinking you're going to have a grandchild then finding out in a moment that it's not happening. Relief, too but the loss would be there.

That is why it is micro-level qualitative research. This study by itself is not intended to be generalizable. This study is also an example of exploratory research.

Are you sure that wasn't her intention? In the video, Gaby talked about how many negative stereotypes there are that she wanted to break and she hoped to have impacted the lives of the other students. I am pointing out that, if the results of this "study" aren't generalizable, then even that is unlikely. The principals comments were more realistic--that one instance isn't really going to do much but it at least opens the conversation.

Participant observation research by itself isn't intended to be generalizable and is not generalizable. This high school student doesn't have to understand that for it to be true; and she probably doesn't understand that.

What she is saying about stereotypes and impacting others' lives (her study did impact others' lives which is part of the potential ethical dilemmas in conducting such research) has nothing to do with the study's generalizability.


LOL. Look, this high school student didn't claim (beyond a teenager's sense of reality and understanding) to completely change the world or to have a lasting impact on everyone and everything. She did influence those who are still talking about and thinking about her study---good or bad--including but not limited people's perceptions and the future implications of conducting such research. Therefore, the principal's comments only add to the student's observations and comments of her research. The principal's comments don't invalidate the student's observations and comments.

No one said she did. The way the principal formed his statements were more realistic than her and hers, even if they both hope for the same thing. So I'm diggin' his bandwagon.

Do you really have to write a novel in response to everything? #teamkettle ;)

Then I don't understand your comments.