A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...
A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ... A Study of Shelters for Street Children from an Organizational ...
given to the demands of shelter programs, routines and times. This was to establish the flow of the inquiry in stages and to ensure constancy in the research project. 5. Determine additional methods that will be required other than the researcher as the human instrument. To facilitate this, a tape recorder was used to record information and daily notebook kept. 6. Map out how data will be collected, recorded and stored. This should include detailed and specific research questions, and how data will be reproduced. A detailed open-ended questionnaire was formulated, with full consideration of enlisting in depth information from the interviewees. Open-ended questionnaire allows respondent the freedom to answers questions in their own words. (Krueger, 1988:30). Participants were encouraged to be free to express themselves in the language they were comfortable with. Some preferred to speak in Zulu rather than English their second language. In this regard, a participant volunteered to interpret. The role assigned to the interpreter was to translate word for word without any editing and participants cross checked to make sure that the translations remained as they expressed them. In that manner data was recorded 7. Chart out the logistics, schedules and budget of data collection. Initially it was planned to include all the shelters in Durban, but this idea was later abandoned due to time and financial constrains. 8. Determine and plan the procedures of data analysis. To do this, the focus of the study and the problem the study addressed were the main building blocks upon which data analysis was based. Constantly the researcher reviewed the purpose of the study to ensure that the study remained focused. 9. Plan the techniques that will be used to determine trustworthiness. The study conducted unstructured interviews with shelter managers, focus group discussions with staff and residents (Terre Blanche and Durrheim, 1999: 126). Focus groups discussions were intended to yield information from a wide range of participants and ensured that a broad spectrum of views and experiences was covered. Krueger (1988: 41) argues that "Focus groups are valid if they are used carefully for a problem that is suitable for focus group inquiry". Ennew (1994: 65) state that focus group discussions work well with children who tend to be more talkative, the numbers of participant balance is necessary because focus group discussions evokes some power relations that would bias the discussion and the balance has been found to be useful when 33
finding out about sensitive issues. Babbie and Mouton (2001 :292) argue that focus groups allow the shaping and reshaping of opinions. Focus group discussions validity depends not only on the research procedures and techniques, but also on the whole process of research including the competence of the researcher. Validation thus depends on the good craftsmanship of the researcher, communication of the research findings, and the by-product of the research; the main ingredients of validation in this context are coherent and competent (Krueger, 1988: 41: Henning, et al 2003). The context and content provided the field of study, and the units of analysis. The researcher facilitated the discussion guided by the themes that were agreed for discussion by the participants. Each session was preceded with the researcher answering questions from the participants regarding his country and people and whether or not there similar challenges of children living and/or working on the street. That process helped in building confidence and trust between the researcher and the participants. 10. This research was designed to take approximately three months in the field but this time schedule was abandoned later due to the complexities of shelter programs and the availability of managers, together with staff and children. It was realized that the time schedule of the researcher and that of the shelters differed to a large extent; hence the researcher was forced to reschedule dates, days and months. By the time all the interviews were finished another three months had passed; thus time on the fieldwork took a total of six months. Because the interview schedules were negotiated and renegotiated, there were lengthy intervals between moving from one shelter to another which resulted in the research taking more time than was expected hence a period of nine months from January to September 2001 was spent with interviews. I adapted flexibly to the schedules of participants, as they were the vital and primary source of information and data. VVhen designing a qualitative study, researchers undertake designs that are open, flexible and changeable whereby research is an interactive process (Terre Blanche and DUrrheim, 1999: 31). 11. Termination and ending of interviews, qualitative researchers have few strict guidelines for when to stop data collection process, in particular focus group discussions. However, Krueger (1988:88) suggest that the moderator can conclude a focus group discussion by thanking the group for their participation or by summarizing briefly the deliberations. In doing this, this researcher was mindful of the participants' 34
- Page 1: A Study of Shelters for Street Chil
- Page 4 and 5: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I extend my sincer
- Page 6: TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 0 NE 1 IN
- Page 9 and 10: LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Showing the
- Page 11 and 12: children's homes. In 1996 the Europ
- Page 13 and 14: specifically in its policies (http:
- Page 15 and 16: Hosken, (2004) in an article titled
- Page 17 and 18: 1.5 The Purpose and Objective of th
- Page 19 and 20: names of the shelters have been ren
- Page 21 and 22: 1.8.2 Organizationalll1eory Shelter
- Page 23 and 24: Chapter Four: Data analysis. The ch
- Page 25 and 26: communities posing enormous challen
- Page 27 and 28: To perceive human social reality as
- Page 29 and 30: Shelter's intervention/reintegratio
- Page 32 and 33: 2.4 Definitions The focus of the re
- Page 35: enforcement officers, outreach work
- Page 40 and 41: 3.1 Introduction CHAPTER THREE RESE
- Page 44 and 45: views and perceptions over the topi
- Page 46 and 47: 3.4 The Researcher in Qualitative I
- Page 48 and 49: which means children there, are sta
- Page 51 and 52: paid to the recording devices. The
- Page 53 and 54: esearchers need to agree or disagre
- Page 55 and 56: • Staff morale was high when moti
- Page 57 and 58: 3.11 Ethical Considerations Babbie
- Page 59 and 60: 4.1 Introduction CHAPTER FOUR OATA
- Page 61 and 62: 4.2. Shelters Services and Programs
- Page 63 and 64: children with their families where
- Page 65 and 66: y the shelter's philosophy, goals,
- Page 67 and 68: 4.2.5 Shelter Routine and Regulatio
- Page 69 and 70: 4.2.6 Policy on Visitors The four s
- Page 71 and 72: children played; this was done depe
- Page 73 and 74: living and/or working on the street
- Page 75 and 76: 4.3.1 Structure and physical locati
- Page 77 and 78: Apart from management of shelters,
- Page 79 and 80: Regarding transparency, accountabil
- Page 81 and 82: Staff expressed that children shoul
- Page 83 and 84: was immediately reassuring to child
- Page 85 and 86: will to choose whether to or not li
- Page 87 and 88: Sangoma (traditional doctor) and I
- Page 89 and 90: Look at this shelter look at the do
- Page 91 and 92: preferable. Participants continued
given to the dem<strong>an</strong>ds <strong>of</strong> shelter programs, routines <strong>an</strong>d times. This was to establish<br />
the flow <strong>of</strong> the inquiry in stages <strong>an</strong>d to ensure const<strong>an</strong>cy in the research project.<br />
5. Determine additional methods that will be required other th<strong>an</strong> the researcher as<br />
the hum<strong>an</strong> instrument. To facilitate this, a tape recorder was used to record in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
<strong>an</strong>d daily notebook kept.<br />
6. Map out how data will be collected, recorded <strong>an</strong>d stored. This should include<br />
detailed <strong>an</strong>d specific research questions, <strong>an</strong>d how data will be reproduced. A detailed<br />
open-ended questionnaire was <strong>for</strong>mulated, with full consideration <strong>of</strong> enlisting in depth<br />
in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>from</strong> the interviewees. Open-ended questionnaire allows respondent the<br />
freedom to <strong>an</strong>swers questions in their own words. (Krueger, 1988:30). Particip<strong>an</strong>ts<br />
were encouraged to be free to express themselves in the l<strong>an</strong>guage they were<br />
com<strong>for</strong>table with. Some preferred to speak in Zulu rather th<strong>an</strong> English their second<br />
l<strong>an</strong>guage. In this regard, a particip<strong>an</strong>t volunteered to interpret. The role assigned to the<br />
interpreter was to tr<strong>an</strong>slate word <strong>for</strong> word without <strong>an</strong>y editing <strong>an</strong>d particip<strong>an</strong>ts cross<br />
checked to make sure that the tr<strong>an</strong>slations remained as they expressed them. In that<br />
m<strong>an</strong>ner data was recorded<br />
7. Chart out the logistics, schedules <strong>an</strong>d budget <strong>of</strong> data collection. Initially it was<br />
pl<strong>an</strong>ned to include all the shelters in Durb<strong>an</strong>, but this idea was later ab<strong>an</strong>doned due to<br />
time <strong>an</strong>d fin<strong>an</strong>cial constrains.<br />
8. Determine <strong>an</strong>d pl<strong>an</strong> the procedures <strong>of</strong> data <strong>an</strong>alysis. To do this, the focus <strong>of</strong><br />
the study <strong>an</strong>d the problem the study addressed were the main building blocks upon<br />
which data <strong>an</strong>alysis was based. Const<strong>an</strong>tly the researcher reviewed the purpose <strong>of</strong> the<br />
study to ensure that the study remained focused.<br />
9. Pl<strong>an</strong> the techniques that will be used to determine trustworthiness. The study<br />
conducted unstructured interviews with shelter m<strong>an</strong>agers, focus group discussions with<br />
staff <strong>an</strong>d residents (Terre Bl<strong>an</strong>che <strong>an</strong>d Durrheim, 1999: 126). Focus groups<br />
discussions were intended to yield in<strong>for</strong>mation <strong>from</strong> a wide r<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>of</strong> particip<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>an</strong>d<br />
ensured that a broad spectrum <strong>of</strong> views <strong>an</strong>d experiences was covered. Krueger (1988:<br />
41) argues that "Focus groups are valid if they are used carefully <strong>for</strong> a problem that is<br />
suitable <strong>for</strong> focus group inquiry". Ennew (1994: 65) state that focus group discussions<br />
work well with children who tend to be more talkative, the numbers <strong>of</strong> particip<strong>an</strong>t<br />
bal<strong>an</strong>ce is necessary because focus group discussions evokes some power relations<br />
that would bias the discussion <strong>an</strong>d the bal<strong>an</strong>ce has been found to be useful when<br />
33
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