In qualitative research, what type of philosophical stance focuses on the subjective experiences and viewpoints of participants?

The emphasis on subjective experiences and viewpoints of participants is central to interpretivism. This philosophical stance asserts that the social world is constructed from the perceptions and meanings that individuals assign to their experiences. Interpretivists seek to understand phenomena through the lens of participants, focusing on the context and meanings that shape their realities.

By prioritizing the perspectives of individuals, interpretivism recognizes that knowledge is subjective and constructed, contrasting with more objective approaches like positivism, which seeks to measure and analyze data independently of human experience. Critical realism, while acknowledging the existence of a reality beyond subjective experience, still seeks to understand the complex interplay of social factors. Pragmatism, on the other hand, emphasizes practical consequences and applications of concepts, offering a flexible approach that may not solely focus on subjective experiences.

Thus, interpretivism is the most aligned with capturing and understanding individual viewpoints within qualitative research.