A Market of Opinions: The Political Epistemology of Focus Groups

摘要: Provoking a conversation among small group of people gathered in room has become widespread way generating useful knowledge.1 The focus is today pervasive technology social investigation, versatile experimental setting where multitude ostensibly heterogeneous issues, from politics to economics, voting spending, can be productively addressed.2 Marketing the field which acquired its most visible and standardized form, as an instrument probe foretell economic behaviour by anticipating encounter consumers products marketplace.3 But whether they are used anticipate consumer laboratory-like setting, or produce descriptions political attitudes, conversations elicited 'white room' relevant striking range objects social-scientific inquiry.4 The observation contrived groupings research subjects 'captive settings' course familiar source knowledge sciences, but there something peculiar technology. In groups, generated form opinions. Moreover, dynamic bring into existence series individual opinions; liveliness meant 'produce data insights that would less accessible without interaction found group' (Morgan, 1988: 12). Both productive qualities methodological quandaries originate special liveliness. epistemology derive tension implied using engender authentically Moderators charge resolving this tension: must make conducive expression private idiosyncratic views, while preventing rising status 'collective;' called structure process elicitation elucidation reducing minimum residuum 'socialness' left over process. As professional moderator describes it: We talk ourselves all time. Most these inner thoughts never surface. They reflect same kind internal dialogue we have when stand at supermarket shelf select paper towels stop take closer look magazine ad for new cell-phone service decide use credit card pay gas. Our running commentary often so subliminal forget it's going on. moderator, I reach out my groups try drag information them foreground. What do marketing therapy reveals how feel about product, service, ad, brand. (Goebert, 2002: viii) Researchers hope externalize silent 'running commentary' means intently managed discussion, translate inaudible monologues conversation. provoke exchange light consumers. Knowledge extracted opinions – freely expressed subjects, yet structurally incited setting.5 Those then selected, categorized interpreted researcher fed production strategies. 'Illustrative opinions' filtered wealth quoted verbatim paraphrased reports circulated clients other audiences. Thus, read, interpreted, discussed managers marketers who were not present original no position directly assess their authenticity relevance. statements produced unique environment enter long chain quoting rephrasing, reverberate actors' market ultimate product tradable disseminated beyond site production. Opinions participants thus help constitute particular marketplaces. Producing such value mobility highly complex technical A generate that, seemingly identical opinions, fact radically different kinds: false induced judgments, insincere beliefs, appear profusely discussion especially poorly run one. These deceptive sorted expunged lead researchers audiences astray. task manage limit proliferation irrelevant inauthentic viewpoints; foreground against background noise inevitably situation. The purpose chapter draw attention some strategies utilized moderators carry extracting experimentally conversations. doing, regain proper appreciation extent categories 'relevant opinion' 'consumer preference' problematic simply primarily external observer, actors professionally trained elicit recognize them, moderators. My account will limited number important ways. manufacture starts with assembling adequate meeting one more moderators, 'focus chain' comprises sequence exchanges analyses initial encounter. This chapter, however, only investigate moment, come together physical room.' analyse solely perspective moderators: analysis based on moderators' own literature training manuals, methods handbooks, autobiographical accounts, documents lay philosophy 'good practice' portrayal moderator.' attempt examine point view nor extensively patterns between actually emerge group, dimension others studied length (Myers, 1998 2004; Myers Macnaghten, 1999; Puchta Potter, 1999 2003). craft moderation put writing.6 Through literature, reconstruct ideal moral moderation. particular, capture constitution attitudes routinely anticipated. The organized around three themes, topics scientists frequently raised relation scientific under conditions: 1) distinction balance naturalness artificiality embodiment moderator's skills abilities (or, rather, accounts give craft); 2) co-production forms order, ideally, argue, takes isegoric assembly; finally, 3) role material artifacts arrangement organization concludes call object sociological creation circulation occupied central place agenda research.