The Relevance of Relational Ontologies in Driving New Methodological Approaches in Virtual and Digital Contexts

Abstract

Qualitative methods are traditionally roots in the anthropological person-centered field. In a virtual and digitalized society, the presence and the agency of technology and devices need to be considered as well. The purpose of this chapter is to contribute conceptually to the reflection of a different ontological perspective in qualitative research. After presenting some qualitative methods centered on humanist ontology and its limits in a virtual and digital society, the author explains the interest to adopt relational ontologies to adapt some qualitative methods in order to overcome the previous limits. This chapter deals with emerging qualitative methods linked to relational ontologies that move away from the individualistic vision of the consumer and also focus on the technological object.

Methods for more-than-human wellbeing: A collaborative journey with object interviews

“…Object interviews offer another way in which some scholars have attempted to adapt the interview where human experience and intelligence is not prioritized, and instead placed in dialogue with non-human matter (Holmes, 2020; Nordstrom, 2013; Scarano, 2022). While there is no firm boundary between object interviews (e.g., Woodward, 2016; Ravn, 2021) and new materialist approaches to using objects within the interview process, new materialist approaches tend to focus on human experience in relation to/with objects.…”

Consumer brand engagement: Socio-cultural perspective and research avenues

“…However, a socio-cultural perspective would make it possible to analyse the way in which these objects contribute to the production (or destruction) of engagement. Some authors criticise the anthropocentric hierarchisation of resources and consider that operand resources can also act on the consumer to co-create value (Campbell et al, 2013), particularly in virtual contexts (Scarano, 2022).…”

L’engagement du consommateur envers la marque : perspective socio-culturelle et voies de recherche

“…Or, une perspective socio-culturelle permettrait d'analyser la façon dont ces objets contribuent à produire (ou à détruire) l'engagement. Des auteurs critiquent la hiérarchisation des ressources anthropocentriques et considèrent que les ressources opératoires peuvent aussi agir sur le consommateur pour co-créer de la valeur (Campbell et al, 2013), en particulier dans les contextes virtuels (Scarano, 2022).…”