How to use the vignette technique in cross‐cultural social work research

The vignette technique was used in a cross‐cultural comparative study of the delivery of personal social services in the United Kingdom and Sweden. In this article we discuss the major premises of using the vignette technique in cross‐cultural comparative social research. In total, 247 vignettes were collected, 165 in Örebro. Sweden and 82 in the United Kingdom (73 in Leicester, England and 9 in the rural areas of Bangor, Wales). The vignettes were filled in by social workers working in the sector of child and family care. Since this technique is seldom used in cross‐cultural comparative studies, it was necessary to develop a model for interpreting cross‐cultural data. In this article we consider methodological and practical aspects of the method adapted for cross‐cultural social work research. A preliminary survey of our empirical data demonstrates the usefulness of such a model in understanding cross‐cultural data. However, the empirical data will be presented in a later article.