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The Qualitative Report An online journal dedicated to qualitative research since 1990 Volume 9 Number 3 September 2004 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR9-3/index.html |
| Ronald J.
Chenail, Ph.D., Sally St. George, Ph.D., and Dan Wulff,
Ph.D., Editors ISSN 1052-0147 |
Developmental Considerations in University-School
Collaborative Research (pp. 375-391)
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Barbara L. Carlozzi, Alfred F. Carlozzi, and R. Steven Harrist
Abstract: Some common complications that arise in collaborative research between school and university researchers, as well as some conditions for successful collaboration are described in this report. Difficulties possibly attributable to developmental levels of the researchers are discussed utilizing Kegans (1982) theory of constructive developmentalism. A collaborative, qualitative study of needs for independence and inclusion in two fifth grade classrooms is described to illustrate the importance of attending to issues of differing perspectives and experiences that may be related to development. The authors suggest that researchers carefully consider issues of role, status, and contextual differences, as well as the developmental maturity of those with whom they engage in collaborative research. Key Words: Collaboration and Developmental
The Feminist Biographical Method in Psychological
Research (pp. 392-412)
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Natalee Popadiuk
Abstract: The feminist biographical method is an in-depth interpretive methodology that is useful for research in the field of psychology. I believe that this qualitative method is an excellent tool for analyzing individual narratives of participants lives in relation to the larger cultural matrix of the society in which they live. Although an oral interview is often the primary strategy employed for data collection in this methodology, other sources of information such as personal journals, official documents, and cultural texts are also exciting additions to the research. The strengths of the feminist biographical method include the depth, context, and meaning found in the research; the inclusion of womens experiences and voices in academic research; and the ability to conduct a sociopolitical analysis of potentially marginalized people. In this article, I delve into the feminist biographical method by providing discussion and examples from research in the field, as well as from my own research. I provide the reader with a personal narrative on how-to conduct research using the feminist biographical method. In particular, I delineate the process of researching the lived experiences of women international students in difficult relationships. As a psychological researcher, I encourage others in the field of psychology to consider using the feminist biographical research to add context, depth, and richness to studies involving human participants. Key Words: Qualitative Research Methodologies, Feminist Research, Biographical Research, International Students, Womens Issues, Intimate Relationships, and Abusive Relationships
The Family Context of Care in HIV/AIDS: A Study from
Mumbai, India (pp. 413-434)
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Premilla D'Cruz
Abstract: Though the continuum of care model has been adopted in HIV/AIDS intervention, there is little empirical work documenting the experiences of caregiving families. Addressing this gap, a study on family caregiving and care receiving was undertaken in Mumbai, India. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven seropositive caregivers, seven seropositive care receivers and five seronegative caregivers. Thematic analysis of the data was conducted, yielding a number of key themes. This paper discusses the key theme of the family context of care which includes the caregiving system, family values, perceived mode of infection, gender of the seropositive person, and class. Implications of the findings for policy and program planning are discussed. Key Words: Family, Care, and Organization of Care
Vietnamese Women and Domestic Violence: A Qualitative
Examination (pp. 435-448)
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Tuyen D. Nguyen
Abstract: This grounded theory qualitative study investigated the major influencing factors in the United States that empowered six Vietnamese women who had been in abusive relationships to take actions, to make changes in their intimate relationships, unlike many of their abused counterparts in their homeland. Interviews of two focus group sessions, field-notes, and documentary evidence were used to obtain the results for this research study. Five major dominant influencing factors in the U.S. have helped these women to stand up to their abusers: 1) financial condition, 2) dominant U.S. cultures intolerance of domestic violence, 3) education, 4) support from other individuals, both genders, and 5) women role models in the community and from the media. These major determinant conditions of the theoretical model were identified and are illustrated by narrative data in this study. Key Words: Vietnamese Abused Women, Partner Abuse, Empowerment, and Domestic Violence
Writing Truth as Fiction: Administrators Think about
Their Work through a Different Lens (pp. 449-462)
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Diane Ketelle
Abstract: This article argues that school administrators can learn about themselves through fictionalizing their real world experience. Examples of this writing form are offered in the text to illustrate the form and possible function of this type of work. The author presents this alternate writing form as a reflective tool that can assist professionals in learning about themselves and as a result resituate themselves in the world of leadership. Key Words: Autoethnography, Narrative Inquiry, Evocative Narrative, Alternative Narrative Research, and Fiction as Educational Research
Motherhood, Migration and Methodology: Giving Voice to
the Other (pp. 463-482)
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Ruth De Souza
Abstract: This paper discusses the need for multi-cultural methodologies that develop knowledge about the maternity experience of migrant women and that are attuned to womens maternity-related requirements under multi-cultural conditions. Little is known about the transition to parenthood for mothers in a new country, particularly when the country is New Zealand. This paper will challenge the positivist hegemony of previously completed research on migrant women by reflecting on my own experience as a researcher grounded in a broadlybased, pluralistic set of critical epistemologies that allowed me to uncover the issues and contexts that impacted on the experience of migrant women. It concludes by proposing that, where research occurs with minority groups, multiple research strategies are incorporated in order to prevent the reproduction of deficiency discourses. Key Words: Migration, Motherhood, Methodology, Reflexivity, Methodological Pluralism, Goa (India) and New Zealand
Childrens Experience of Loneliness at School and its
Relation to Bullying and the Quality of Teacher Interventions (pp.
483-499)
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George Berguno, Penny Leroux, Katayoun McAinsh and Sabera Shaikh
Abstract: Forty-two children aged between 8 and 10 years were interviewed about their experience of loneliness at primary school. The children were further asked to describe their experiences of being bullied, as well as to comment on their perception of the consequences of particular teacher interventions. It was found that a majority of children (80%) had periods of being lonely at school and that these experiences were associated with boredom, inactivity, a tendency to withdraw into fantasy, and a passive attitude towards social interactions. Moreover, children who invested in very few friendships were more vulnerable to becoming isolated. Similarly, a majority of children (68%) claimed to have been bullied, with lonely children being more likely to be victimized by peers. Furthermore, children reported that teacher interventions were on the whole not effective in bringing an end to their victimization experiences. Thus, the findings indicated that both bullying and particular kinds of teacher interventions were contributing factors to childrens prolonged sense of loneliness at school. A developmental model of the interrelationship of these three variables is proposed and discussed. Key Words: Loneliness, Bullying, School, Phenomenology, and Life-World
Higher Education as an Immigration Path for Chinese
Students and Scholars (pp. 500-527)
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Bangchen Pang and Nicholas Appleton
Abstract: The purposes of this study were to identify and describe the factors that influenced the choices made by mainland Chinese students and scholars to come to the United States, to identify and describe the factors that influenced their settlement in the United States, and to identify and describe the role that higher education played in this process. An explanatory multiple case study design was used as the basic strategy for the study. In-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted to describe, from the participants perspective, the factors that influenced their successful immigration to the United States. The participants were a convenience sample of 10 Chinese immigrants from mainland China selected from several Chinese professional and social organizations in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. The participants were of different genders, professions, and ages. Key Words: Higher Education, Chinese Immigration, Chinese Students and Scholars
"Ask Me No Secrets, I'll Tell You No Lies:" What Happens
When a Respondent's Story Makes No Sense (pp. 528-537)
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Sarah Flicker
Abstract: In health research, we depend heavily on the goodwill of study participants. However, the whole social contract of health research is based on the premise that everyone comes to the research table with honorable intentions. What course should we take if we doubt the authenticity of our participants accounts? Through the use of an illustrative case study, this paper will explore three different ways of thinking about (and handling) implausible narratives. Key Words: Reliability, Validity, Trustworthiness, Self-report, Lies, Qualitative, and Community-Based Participatory Research
Postmodern Influence in Family Therapy Research:
Reflections of Graduate Students (pp. 538-561)
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Katherine M. Hertlein, Jennifer Lambert-Shute, and Kristen Benson
Abstract: Postmodernism has influenced family therapy in significant ways, from clinical work to family therapy research. Little has been written, however, on how to conduct postmodern research in a manner reflecting marriage and family therapy inquiries. The present study seeks to investigate doctoral students understanding of postmodern family therapy research. Using collaborative language theory and collaborative inquiry, students participated in a dialogue to answer several questions: a) what is postmodernism, b) what is postmodern research, c) what does postmodern reiearch look like, and d) what does this mean for the field of marriage and family therapy. Students indicated that postmodern research is characterized by its flexibility in methods, translates into a new way of conducting research, and creates a natural bridge between family therapy researchers and clinicians. Key Words: Postmodernism, Family Therapy, Graduate Students, and Family Therapy Research
