Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
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In-depth <strong>in</strong>terview<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>-depth <strong>in</strong>terviews <strong>in</strong> order to check <strong>the</strong> validity of <strong>in</strong>terpretations<br />
made. We followed this with a <strong>the</strong>ory representation exercise that<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ed how participants utilised <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>in</strong> practice. Participants<br />
were requested to portray diagrammatically <strong>the</strong>ir perceptions of<br />
how <strong>the</strong>y <strong>in</strong>tegrated physical abuse <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir practice and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
to expla<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir draw<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> group. We were impressed by <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
will<strong>in</strong>gness to discuss <strong>the</strong>ir practice <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> group and so risk<br />
exposure. We attributed this to <strong>the</strong> trust that had developed<br />
between participants and researchers and <strong>the</strong> commonality of worksett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
shared by participants—although <strong>the</strong> latter could have led to<br />
competition and defensiveness among participants had trust not<br />
been present.<br />
As with <strong>in</strong>-depth <strong>in</strong>terviews, attention needs to be paid to<br />
design<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> types of questions that will be most effective <strong>in</strong> elicit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>the</strong> type of material sought. If <strong>the</strong> focus of <strong>the</strong> research is about<br />
feel<strong>in</strong>gs and experiences, at some stage <strong>the</strong> focus group will have to<br />
move beyond description of events <strong>in</strong> order to f<strong>in</strong>d out about participants’<br />
experiences of <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
For sensitive topics, Mariampolski (1989) suggests commenc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with relatively ‘safe’ issues and encourag<strong>in</strong>g everyone <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> group<br />
to speak early on, only mov<strong>in</strong>g on to more sensitive topics when<br />
<strong>the</strong>re is evidence that participants are ready to do so. Equally important<br />
is <strong>the</strong> w<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g down period at <strong>the</strong> end. A return to ‘safe’ topics<br />
is advisable, <strong>in</strong> order to reach some closure to <strong>the</strong> discussion of<br />
potentially stressful subjects.<br />
<strong>Stories</strong> from <strong>the</strong> field<br />
The first story from <strong>the</strong> field is from Angel<strong>in</strong>a Yuen-Tsang’s study<br />
of <strong>the</strong> social support networks of work<strong>in</strong>g mo<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> Beij<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong><br />
second from Yvonne’s study of women who had been sexually<br />
abused <strong>in</strong> childhood.<br />
Angel<strong>in</strong>a Yuen-Tsang—Social support networks of Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />
work<strong>in</strong>g mo<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>in</strong> Beij<strong>in</strong>g<br />
We <strong>in</strong>troduced Angel<strong>in</strong>a Yuen-Tsang <strong>in</strong> Chapter 2 where she talked<br />
about <strong>the</strong> process of choos<strong>in</strong>g a community <strong>in</strong> which to conduct her<br />
research and her engagement with that community. The study had<br />
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