Usually, I Do Not Quarrel - What Type of Ties Do We Find When We Ask About Conflicts Using a Name-Generator Approach?

In a mixed-methods study on poverty in Germany, we conducted qualitative interviews and collected quantitative data on ego-centered networks using a name-generator approach and a single set of respondents. Based on the qualitative data, we first developed a typology of negative ties and then evaluated which of these ties the name generator (on conflicts) had measured. To some extent, the conflict name-generator (CNG) captured the complexity of the negative ties in the typology, but it captured only a small fraction of the negative ties mentioned in the narrative interviews and it missed some specific ones. Discussing the limitations of the CNG in the light of our typology of negative ties allows us to learn more about being nuanced in formulating appropriate questions for eliciting negative ties.

Automated summary

In a study on poverty in Germany, both qualitative interviews and quantitative data collection using a name-generator approach were conducted. The study developed a typology of negative ties based on the qualitative data and evaluated how well the name generator measured these ties. The study found that while the name generator captured some complexity of negative ties, it only captured a small fraction mentioned in the interviews and missed some specific ones.