Collection and presentation of detailed information about a particular group, frequently including the accounts of subjects themselves. A form of qualitative research.
Can be short or long duration.
Techniques
Participant observation
Interview
Videography and photography
AdvOntages
Deep and diagnostic study, that helps probe a social unit intensely.
Reveals complex interlinkages in a society.
Vivid and deep descriptions accurately depict the values and attitudes of people.
Best for administration and welfare of a society.
Used to generate hypothesis by inductive reasoning, compare societies, classify and analyse the society.
Demerits
Doesn't provide impersonal and common aspects of a phenomena
Data collected is mostly qualitative and can't be compared like quantitative data
Researchers may be biased in collecting data or deriving meaning from observations. Mead vs freeman controversy - where account of mead wasn't confirmed by later studies.
Time consuming and very costly.
Case studies are often loosely structured, and not systematic. Thus ignoring basic principles of research design.
May lead to wrong generalisations.
Pick any.
History. Started by Herbert Spencer, and later by R Brown.
Malinowski gave functionalism after case study of trobriand islanders.
Clifford Geertz case study of Bali tribe is a classic example. Propounded idea of thick description with layers of meanings in a case study.
EV Pritchard study of Nuers led to creation of political anthropology theories
Victor Turner by case study of Ndembu gained insights into symbolism, rites of passage and gave concept of liminality and social drama.
In India field view was revealed by case study of coorgs by Srinivas. It led to creation of concepts like sanskritization and dominant caste.