Culturometrics: A Constructionist Philosophy for Humanistic Inquiry in Qualitative Identity Research

Culturometrics is a new person-centred research philosophy that has shaped new tools for measuring and revealing the subjectivities of cultural identities. By focusing on tractable processes of identity communication rather than attempting to categorise the infinitely variable forms of identity outcomes it has developed intuitively acceptable computationally simple bridges across the qualitative /quantitative research divide. By reframing social constructs as cultural identities and categorising cultural groups by the fluidity of their membership it has extended the remit of traditional qualitative research. This paper gives a brief overview of the humanistic intentions of Culturometrics that underpin its objective methods for measuring and revealing the rich subjectivities of cultural identity. The paper demonstrates one of the selfnorming processes that regulate personal expectations allowing subjective self-evaluations of identity to be compared. It demonstrates efficient two-phase etic/emic social network sampling of cultural groups and effective contrast interviewing for revealing the unique values, attitudes, beliefs and intentions that define cultural Identity in specific research contexts.