PhD thesis Title Page Final _Richard Juma - Victoria University ...

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODS
3.1 Introduction.
This chapter presents the research methods used in this study, and
provides an overview of research design (including data production and
analysis). As suggested in the previous chapter, the livelihood approach
was central to this research. It was designed to get a comprehensive
overview of the vulnerability context in the study area, and explore the
complex nature of Turkana pastoralists’ livelihoods during the 2005-2006
drought and famine period. The approach provided the conceptual basis
from which the overall research question was formulated and was also
instrumental in guiding and informing the overall methodology and the
actual questions asked. Analysis of Turkana people’s livelihoods was done
by applying concepts such as assets, perceptions, and social networks.
Such an investigation necessitated a period of fieldwork, 47 principally
involving going to rural villages in the Turkana District to talk to and
document the voices and views of the Turkana people: men, women, and
children who possed first hand experience of the crises. Following Strauss
and Corbin (1990), Kanbur (2001), and White (2002), complementary
qualitative and quantitative data were collected. I predominantly applied a
qualitative 48 research strategy to explore perceptions and gain deeper
insights of specific issues, and to address the institutional context of
livelihoods and changing livelihood responses to growing difficulties at
both the household and community level (Salkind 2003). A quantitative
method was used as a means to document repetitive patterns of interest to
the study, and to summarize assets and activities. The quantitative data
were also intended to increase my understanding of the range of situations
47 My thesis fieldwork was conducted in the period from early February 2007 to the end of
July 2007.
48 This study supports Kane’s (1995) argument that qualitative methods are participatory
in nature and seek to understand the reality of the situation from the actors’ points of
view. In addition, a qualitative study implies an in-depth study that utilizes a variety of
data collection techniques, which envisages the holistic nature of the data.
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