Studying women's lives: research questions, strategies and lessons.

Abstract

The last 20 years have witnessed major changes both in the methodology of social science and in the questions being asked. The author sees a tendency today to discount data or archives, particularly longitudinal archives, which appear limited or unsystematic. Using his life course studies of women in relation to the family, the author discusses some of the advantages of longitudinal research and the importance of creative use of archive material.