Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques

The sociology of childhood has been used increasingly as a theoretical perspective in early childhood education since the late 1980s. In Australia, those who draw on the sociology of childhood have tended to use it in similar ways to European counterparts, being guided by six major tenets identified by Prout and James (1997) that form the basis of the sociology of childhood. These include the notion that childhood is a social construction, that childhood is a variable of social analysis and is closely connected to other variables such as class and gender, and that children's relationships and cultures are worthy of study in their own right (p. 8). Further, children are considered as active (rather than passive) agents in their daily lives and to be competent and knowledgeable about their own lives (p. 8). Although the sociology of childhood is comparatively young, there has been little analysis of the key tenets of the position. Morss is an exception and raises some fundamental issues for consideration, which include refining the notion of the 'socially constructed child', a term that is used widely in much that written about the sociology of childhood.

The Sociology of Childhood

Cross-cultural research is rife with ethical and methodological challenges but, despite the increased demand for such research, discussions on 'culturally sensitive methodologies' are still largely neglected. Consequently, researchers often find themselves faced with difficulties but lack information on how to deal with them. This text provides an in-depth discussion on how to perform qualitative research in cross-cultural contexts with an emphasis on a more ethical, sensible and responsible approach. Pranee Liamputtong suggests culturally sensitive and appropriate research methods that would work well with cultural groups. She offers thought-provoking perspectives and diverse cultural examples which will be of value to both novice and experienced cross-cultural researchers. Throughout the volume there are references to the excellent work of many cross-cultural researchers who have paved the way in different social and cultural settings.

/pdf/performing-qualitative-cross-cultural-research-617wq2di76.pdf

Performing Qualitative Cross-Cultural Research

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted by the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) beginning in 1932. The study examined untreated cases of latent syphilis in human subjects to determine the \" natural course \" of the disease. Three hundred and ninety nine black males from Tuskegee, Alabama, who already had late-stage syphilis, were recruited for this study along with a matched sample of 201 noninfected males. The subjects were not asked to provide their informed consent in order to participate in this project. Those infected with syphilis in the early 1930s were given the standard treatment at that time, which consisted of administering heavy metals. However, those men participating in the study were, not treated. In fact, the doctor in charge of the study noted \" everyone is agreed that the proper procedure is the continuance of the observation of the negro men used in the study with the idea of eventually bringing them to autopsy \" (Jones, 1993, p. 132). However, when antibiotics became available in the 1940s and it was evident that this treatment would improve a patient's chances for recovery, antibiotic treatment was withheld from the infected subjects, even though the researchers knew that if left untreated the disease would definitely progress to increased disability and eventually early death. According to some reports, \" on several occasions, the USPHS actually sought to prevent treatment \" (Heintzelman, 1996, p. 49). The experiment lasted over four decades, and it was not until 1972, in large part prompted by exposure from

The ethics of social research

The semistructured, open-ended interview has become the gold standard for qualitative health research Despite its strengths, the long interview is not well suited for studying topics that participants find difficult to discuss, or for working with those who have limited verbal communication skills A lack of emotional expression among male research participants has repeatedly been described as a significant and pervasive challenge by health researchers in a variety of different fields This article explores several prominent theories for men's emotional inexpression and relates them to qualitative health research The authors argue that investigators studying emotionally sensitive topics with men should look beyond the long interview to methods that incorporate other modes of emotional expression This article concludes with a discussion of several such photo-based methods, namely, Photovoice, Photo Elicitation, and Visual Storytelling

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1557988312464038

The limitations of language: male participants, stoicism, and the qualitative research interview.

This paper discusses the practicalities of doing social research. It draws on the author’s field experiences in four African countries during postgraduate training. It discusses physical risk, visible or invisible, that can be encountered during fieldwork and highlights other conceptual issues that are necessary for postgraduate students as first‐timers or ‘naive’ researchers to consider. The reason(s) for doing this is to demonstrate a reflexive stance, i.e. the relationship between the theory and practice of qualitative research. The discussion thus offers an insight into what new researchers are likely to face when undertaking fieldwork abroad and issues that can act as a deterrent to the researcher as ‘novice’ or ‘naive’.

Theophilus Gokah

Papers

The Naïve Researcher: Doing Social Research in Africa