{"title":"Methodological Challenges in Studying Wealthy Families.","authors":"Annette Lareau","doi":"10.1111/1468-4446.70124","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Studying the wealthy is not easy. This piece provides suggestions for recruitment, interview strategies, and design to gain high-quality data on wealthy people. It is based on an interview study of 81 US racially-diverse families with a median net worth of $25 million. First, to gain access to the wealthy, it is key for the researcher to use a wide array of social networks, particularly weak ties, by asking acquaintances if they can mention the study to a potential respondent, and making the first request very small (such as a brief phone call) rather than large (a two-hour interview). Second, rather than standardization of the interview protocol, flexibility is invaluable along with early \"safe\" questions about money (i.e., salary of a first job) for gaining concrete information about family wealth. Third, designing a study to include multiple members of the same family can improve data quality by adding depth, nuance, and confidence in the findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":51368,"journal":{"name":"British Journal of Sociology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2026-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"British Journal of Sociology","FirstCategoryId":"90","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.70124","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"SOCIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Studying the wealthy is not easy. This piece provides suggestions for recruitment, interview strategies, and design to gain high-quality data on wealthy people. It is based on an interview study of 81 US racially-diverse families with a median net worth of $25 million. First, to gain access to the wealthy, it is key for the researcher to use a wide array of social networks, particularly weak ties, by asking acquaintances if they can mention the study to a potential respondent, and making the first request very small (such as a brief phone call) rather than large (a two-hour interview). Second, rather than standardization of the interview protocol, flexibility is invaluable along with early "safe" questions about money (i.e., salary of a first job) for gaining concrete information about family wealth. Third, designing a study to include multiple members of the same family can improve data quality by adding depth, nuance, and confidence in the findings.
期刊介绍：
British Journal of Sociology is published on behalf of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is unique in the United Kingdom in its concentration on teaching and research across the full range of the social, political and economic sciences. Founded in 1895 by Beatrice and Sidney Webb, the LSE is one of the largest colleges within the University of London and has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence nationally and internationally. Mission Statement: • To be a leading sociology journal in terms of academic substance, scholarly reputation , with relevance to and impact on the social and democratic questions of our times • To publish papers demonstrating the highest standards of scholarship in sociology from authors worldwide; • To carry papers from across the full range of sociological research and knowledge • To lead debate on key methodological and theoretical questions and controversies in contemporary sociology, for example through the annual lecture special issue • To highlight new areas of sociological research, new developments in sociological theory, and new methodological innovations, for example through timely special sections and special issues • To react quickly to major publishing and/or world events by producing special issues and/or sections • To publish the best work from scholars in new and emerging regions where sociology is developing • To encourage new and aspiring sociologists to submit papers to the journal, and to spotlight their work through the early career prize • To engage with the sociological community – academics as well as students – in the UK and abroad, through social media, and a journal blog.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
