“A Deviation from the Norm”: Qualitative Scholars’ Perceptions of Self and Belonging in Criminology and Criminal Justice

While recent research has identified some of the main contributors to the marginalization of qualitative research in Criminology, we still know very little about how qualitative scholars themselves perceive and experience the qualitative-quantitative divide. Drawing on interviews with 44 qualitative criminologists from around the world and at different stages in their careers, we find that participants' experiences and interactions with other scholars - from graduate school through their current academic position - shaped their perceptions of self and belonging in the field. Additionally, the cumulative effect of these experiences over time strongly influenced participants' willingness to embrace or distance themselves from the "qualitative researcher" label. Although the vast majority of participants described feeling methodologically isolated or misunderstood at some point during their careers, these perceptions were particularly salient among women in the sample. Our findings contribute to the ongoing methodological debate in Criminology and other social sciences concerning the devaluation of qualitative methods. We also discuss the policy implications of our findings, particularly for institutionalized practices within the academy that impact scholars' meaningful engagement in qualitative research.