Challenges in setting up in-depth interview

                                                                                         
                              

                   What a challenge this has turned out to be.........
Since a week i have been trying to set up an in-depth  one on one interview with a participant. Adhering to all ethical considerations and refraining pushing and letting it clearly be my participants choice cancelled three times after giving a commitment to meet. language was a great barrier where i got the participant information sheet and the consent  form along with my questions translated into urdu the local language to bring comfort and communication. My participant only spoke to me once and now all contact is conducted through her husband. My participant is quite famous and a commercial female dancer who i chose to contact for my inquiry dancing the female body in Pakistani society. This makes me reflect back on a one on one Skype session with my supervisor Adesola discussing ethics reflections according to my research inquiry. Translation is never direct and being in my participants local language tells me a lot about how she understands her body in words with meanings in a different cultural context.
                                                 
                                                           
                                   
What i experienced made me reflect on the impact it has had on me and my research. Ethics are not just rules to follow I recognise but add to the research and makes it better. I have been  hands on and practically experienced this understanding of ethical application, As i am doing my research an understanding is revealing itself as i gain more information which is more meaningful according to my  inquiry. Even though there is a framework of applying ethics as required, but many unseen or unpredicted situations manifest that challenge the ethical consideration. This has been a great area of learning for me while trying to conduct my interview with time constraints and pressure of my gant chart and collecting my data.                     
             

                                                     

                                                                                                          

                                                   

Theories and Frameworks in Qualitative Research

Responding to the 13th October Group Skype.

Looking at theories and frameworks in qualitative research.

Every theory exists within a framework and some have multiple that all connect to the larger framework, which helps to put things into some kind of context.

 Lets take the example of learning to drive, the car the framework and the methodologies, the functions gears, ignition lights, the wipers, once learnt the framework of the car dissolves and loosely lies within our awareness, then we learn the methodology of being on the road, then among other cars, we are constantly surrounded by all kinds of frameworks in our existence of daily life.

I have been exploring the four different design frameworks that exist within qualitative research such as phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory and case study.

Phenomenology: This framework looks into the study of phenomena and that phenomena could be situations, experiences, or events and even concepts.

We exist with phenomena around us where we maybe aware of it but do not fully understand it.

This framework looks at the cause of problem and the effects it has for example if a child has a disabled parent what would be the effect of that child. A phenomenological framework to the research can help fill the gap even if it does have definite answers it can create awareness and insight around this phenomena.

Ethnography: Ethnography exists within a framework of anthropology. This framework focuses on social relationships and gives a description of individual human societies within a scientific framework. A methodology of studying people and cultures.

This approach can be further investigated through geographical, religious, or tribal frameworks.

Grounded theory: This framework is a systematic one that allows, flexible collection of data, through theory and theories. The data is collected through interviews and observing literature. A theory is a set of concepts that are integrated through a series of relational statements (Hague, 1972). The data is coded, connections and emerging patterns are identified, from what has been said by people or events that have been observed which can lead to new ideas and theory.

This is where the theory is grounded in the data.

Case study: This framework deals with the holistic study of events, people, projects, policies institutions or systems through one or many methods.

This approach of study can be done in life sciences and social science descriptive or explanatory. In case study three distinguished frameworks of cases are identified as key cases, Outlier cases and local knowledge cases. This kind of research framework is multi-purpose, which presents a well and wealth of information to the researcher.

Research terms MAPP module 3

Responding to our skype discussion with the MAPP module 3 group on October 2nd. The conversation revolved around research terms and methods. There was a clear understanding that we were all doing qualitative research which then took us to data collection and its management, other areas such as questionnaires became an important topic to cover and with everyones individual input all the different aspects were covered which proved quite beneficial to all of us. Emerging patterns were discussed and the concept of coding and how coding was vital to implement as it would be utter chaos to align different elements of data collected, which got me buzzing around yes how overwhelming would that be with having so much data and no system to organise!!!

                         
Helen's explanation of analysis  as something that is a detailed examination of a subject or topic in simple terms lead us into a term of triangulation another process in the research path.
Triangulation of data is where different components of the data come in from other people through  interviews, ones own experiences, questionnaires, all the engagement with published material meaning the literature.
                 
                                                     
All these multiple perspectives come into one space from different sources to be examined. The idea is that just having your own perspective would be bias, so all these elements when brought together establish emerging themes or patterns allowing for a deeper and broader understanding of the research topic, reviewing the data in relationship to each other reveals connections between all the material and the information coming through.
In examining layers are peeled away as helen explained and we look beyond surface level.


   



                                       
                      

Learning and Knowing group discussion

This is responding to our group skype on sunday the 30th of sept. It was so inspiring to be amongst  all students in different modules. I found we made connections within our unique experiences of learning  and knowing spaces. The conversation roamed around  frameworks and being able to permeate them, arriving in an ocean that is vast and evolving our learning further. The quest at times is to keep the awareness active to avoid getting caught up in a limited space devoid of exploration.
I look at my journey from module 1 where i was confronted with all the different viewpoints and perceptions against my fixed knowing that it was challenging to break out, but persistence paved a more nonlinear approach to module 2.

                                  

 As a group similar experiences resonated in the context of learning and knowing  sharing space on skype brought so much connectivity between us all. The sense of being alone on this journey and being stuck at times diminished as i recognised the MAPP course as the ocean and all us as baby rock's growing through each module.

I am so grateful to be able to truly now look back and see how the MAPP modules have been a journey of Integration, Dis-Integration and Re-Integration.