The Impact of Marriage Inequality on People in Same-Sex Relationships in Tasmania - Research Proposal Example

Assessment 3: Research Proposal What is the impact of marriage inequality on people in same-sex relationships in Tasmania? Name Institution Date Table of Contents 1.0 Title of Proposed Research Project 3 2.0 Project Rationale 3 3.0 Research Question 5 4.0 Research Design 6 4.1 Research Method 7 4.2 Sampling and Recruitment 8 4.3 Data Collection 9 4.4 Data Analysis 9 5.0 Reporting of Results 10 6.0 Ethical Issues 11 7.0 Funding Sources 11 8.0 Relevance and Implications for Social Work 14 References 16 Research Proposal 1.0 Title of Proposed Research Project The title of the proposed project is an investigation on the impact of marriage inequality on people in same sex relationships. The proposal intends to make an investigation on this topic on people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. Same sex relationships in Australia have been treated as de facto relationships and for a long time, the Australian Federal Law has been opposing this type of relationships or unions (Neilsen 2014, p.1). Failing to recognise these relationships has raised many questions of marriage inequality. Marriage inequalities to people in these relationships have impacted them negatively in different ways. Therefore, this topic raises many issues of ethics, human rights as well as the role of social work in the society as advocates for the affected group. 2.0 Project Rationale The topic of the project covers the impact of marriage inequality on people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. This is a very important topic since it covers the rights of the group that needs to be respected. In a social perspective, this topic is important since it recognises the ethical need of treating all Australians and other people all over the world morally and equally without any type of discrimination. According to American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2013, p.1), same sex relationships or marriage involves relationships between two people of the same gender. When we talk of marriage inequality in same-sex relationships, we are not talking of a new topic. According to Neilsen (2012, p.5), the world has been against same-sex relationships and unions and people from this group have experienced many challenges while trying to fit in the community. The Marriage Act 1961 (Cth) also known as the Marriage Act defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This legislation does not recognise and discriminates against same sex relationships through denying them the right to marry. The Act raises issues of marriage inequality whereby people are not recognised by the law. However, the law in Australia, Tasmania has amended the Marriage Bill to recognise people in same sex relationships (Australian Human Rights Commission 2012, p.1). The problem is that, the legislation is not clear on the rights of people in same sex relationships. Therefore, marriage inequality still exists for the group. It is a fundamental human right for every person to have equality in marriage. People in same sex marriage have human rights that need to be respected and they should be accorded the right to civil marriage without discrimination regardless of their sex or gender identity (Australian Human Rights Commission 2009, p.1). The AASW Code of Ethics 2010 recognises achievement of social justice for every person. Marriage inequality for people in same sex relationships does not achieve justice for them. Additionally, the code of ethics advocates to respect of human persons, respect for human dignity and worth as well as Commitment to social justice and human rights for all. Failure of the law to make it clear to recognise and allow people of same sex relationships to marry is disrespecting their human rights, human dignity and worth (Australian Association of Social Workers 2010, p17). Several studies have been carried out on marriage inequality for same sex relationships and how they affect the group. A study carried out by the Australian High Commission (2012, p.1) on Marriage equality in a changing world revealed that, couples of same sex relationships are limited in changing their identity in passports. There is also a confusion of how these couples would be referred in terms of status when being issued with identification or travel visas. Therefore, many of them have been denied passports and travel visas as a result of their relationship status. Another study analysis carried out by Twomey (2012, p.1) about the Tasmanian Same Sex Marriage Bill reveals that, the law has not yet accepted same sex relationships and the people in such relationships are yet to receive full recognition in Tasmania. What these studies emphasize on is that, there is inequality in marriage for people in same sex relationships since they are not free to be recognised as married couples and have certain limits in their lives to engage with others in the community. However, the studies give us very little information on the various implications that the marriage inequality has on this group of people. Therefore, this research project aims at filling this knowledge gap and investigates on the impact of marriage inequality that is experience by people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. 3.0 Research Question The research project aims at answering research question below; What is the impact of marriage inequality on people in same-sex relationships in Tasmania? The above question can be broken down into several questions that guide the research project. Specifically, the research project will be answering the following sub-questions; i. How has marriage inequality impacted in the health of people in same sex relationships in Tasmania? ii. To what extend has marriage inequality impacted in the families of people in same sex relationships in Tasmania? iii. How does marriage inequality impact on the financial as well as healthcare protections for people in same sex relationships in Tasmania? iv. To what extend does marriage inequality impact the accessibility of state and health care services for people in same sex relationships in Tasmania? 4.0 Research Design According to Bryman & Bell (2011), a research design serves the purpose of providing a framework for the collection as well as analysis of data. It involves a theoretical structure, strategy as well as a plan within which the research would be conducted. A research design aims at exploring and describing the phenomenon through identification of the research problem, data gathering, analysis and reporting of results (Jankowicz 2005). The research design that will be used to gain information in answering the research question is a qualitative research design. Laurel (2003) argues that, a qualitative research design involves exploring and thereby gaining a wider as well as deeper understanding of a particular issue under research. The reason for using qualitative research design is that, it is concerned with subjective assessment and provision of insights as well as impressions that aim at determining the quality of a specific incident. It is the most suitable research design for this research project since it does not possess repeatability strength when subjected to rigorous quantitative analysis. 4.1 Research Method The research method that will be used in this research is interviews and documentary methods. Interview Method An interview is a type of conversation that occurs between an interviewer as well as interviewee. The intention of an interview is to get responses from the questions asked. The questions are usually appropriate for producing descriptive information. The reason for using interview method is because it is the most preferable research method on qualitative research as a method of data collection (Petty et al 2012). Interviews are quick as well as inexpensive research method when compared to other methods like surveys and questionnaires. It can also help in collecting different types of uninformed information which serves to assure the researcher of comparability of data. However, interviews have the weakness of respondents not willing to answer the interview questions and may term them as sensitive or personal. Documentary Method Mogalakwe (2006) describes the documentary method as involving an analysis of documents that contain information about the phenomenon under research. The documents used are usually developed by authors earlier for other different but related studies to the topic under research (Payne & Payne 2004). The documentary method is an essential research method and suitable for this study since relevant documents to the phenomenon under study will be reviewed to provide reliable information for research (Bryman & Bell 2011). It is a method that provides reliable information and reduces the possibility of a sensitive effect which could be a limitation on the validity of data. However, the researcher must select documents with information specifically related to the topic. Therefore, the reliability and validity of data from documents depends on the researcher skills to retrieve the documents. 4.2 Sampling and Recruitment Sampling is the process of selecting a subset from a larger group of population. It is done so as to make judgment about the characteristics of the target population that the researcher intends to study (Jankowicz 2005). There are two types of sampling namely probabilistic and non-probabilistic. Non-probabilistic sampling will be used in this research. Specifically, the researcher will use judgmental sampling to choose the sample of participants that are most appropriate for the study. The reason for using this sampling method is that it provides the researcher with the autonomy of choosing the participants (Saunders et al 2007). The participants who will participate in the study are the people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. The reason for the researcher in recruiting this group of participants is because they are in the best position to provide answers to the research questions of the study. 4.3 Data Collection Both primary and secondary data will be collected for this study. Primary data is data that is collected to be used for the first time (Hox & Boeije 2005, p.593). Secondary data is data that was collected for another research but it is relevant for the current study (McQuarrie 2005, p.53). It is data that was collected and analyzed by someone other than the researcher. The data for this research study will be collected using interviews and documentary methods. Interviews will be used to collect primary data while the documentary method will be used to collect secondary data. To collect primary data, the researcher will conduct interviews to ask questions to participants regarding their views and opinions on the impact of marriage inequality on people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. The data will be generated by populating participants from Tasmania in Australia. The researcher will engage the participants on face to face interviews using a brief interview schedule while those who cannot be reached physically, the researcher will undertake a telephone conversation with them, so as to generate answers to the interview questions. 4.4 Data Analysis Data collected are usually examined to reveal that the data depicts any possible relationship with the intended variables for analysis. This is useful to establish how marriage inequality impacts on people in same sex relationships. Thematic analysis will be used to analyse the data collected in this study. Braun & Clark (2006, p.77) describe thematic analysis as a qualitative analytic method that offers an accessible as well as theoretically flexible approach to the analysis of qualitative data. It is defined as a method of identification, analysis as well as reporting of themes within data. Boyatzis (1998) argue that, it is a method of data analysis that interprets the various aspects of the research topic. It is a method that is essential in analysis data with recurring theme (Braun & Wilkinson 2003, p.30). When analysis data, it will involve a number of questions for the researcher to before the analysis begins. The phases in thematic analysis that the researcher will undertake include; familiarizing with the collected data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, defining and naming themes as well as producing a report. The reason for using thematic analysis is because, it usefully summaries key features of a large body of data. It can be used to produce qualitative analysis to inform policy development, can generate unanticipated insights and allows for social and psychological interpretation of data (Braun & Clark 2006, p.97). 5.0 Reporting of Results The findings of the research will be reported using notes, figures and tables to explain the relations between the variables. The results will be relevant and reported to the government so as to take action in valuing equality in marriage, to the participants to enable them review how marriage inequality impacts on them and to social workers to enable them raise an advocacy for the discriminated group within the community. 6.0 Ethical Issues According to the Research Ethics Guidebook (2015, p.1), in research, there are various ethical issues that must be considered by the researcher. In this research, there are several ethical issues that are related to the research design that needs to be addressed. They include; issues of consent, confidentiality, appropriate sampling as well as the research methods used. To address the issue of sampling, being keen when selecting the sample to ensure the inclusion and exclusion criteria are known will be observed. Approval will also be obtained from the sample group. The National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, p.25) denotes that, to achieve justice in qualitative research, the researcher must state clearly the criteria for inclusion as well as exclusion of participants and have the capacity to justify them. In addressing the issue of consent, it will be necessary to obtain consent from the participants before asking the interview questions for data collection. To ensure confidentiality of the information provided by the participants, the researcher will ensure that the information collected is kept confidential and not exposed to unauthorized persons. Regarding the research methods, research methods that fit best for the research study will be used. The methods will also be the most efficient to answer my research questions. 7.0 Funding Sources According to Careers Research and Advisory Centre (2015, p.1) academic research have various sources of funding that are accessible to them. It is evident that, looking for funding bodies that are suitable can be a challenging task. Therefore, a researcher is requested to seek as many ideas as possible to ensure that they have access to finances and do not lack funding sources. Some of the possible funding sources that are appropriate for the proposed research include; global resources, Tasmania, Australian Government Funding, Australian learned and professional societies, Australian charities and trusts, the university, and Association for LBGT in Tasmania. Global Resources Global resources such as the Research Professional usually outline and provide academic research funding opportunities. The researcher will subscribe to this service to access their funding through setting up tailored email alerts. There is also the research connect international that provides international funding opportunities to students and organisations for their academic research projects. Here, the researcher will tailor email alerts, use commenting tools as well as work groups so as to allow easy dissemination of information. This will be achieved easily by the requesting the university to subscribe. Pivot or the Community of Science is also another global institution that lists various global funding opportunities that are available for students and organisations. The researcher will subscribe so as to get tailored email alerts about the funding opportunities. The welcome trust is also another global funding source that supports research as well as strengthening research capacity in low as well as middle income countries. These are a good funding source for the research project (Careers Research and Advisory Centre (2015, p.1). Australian/Tasmanian Government Funding The government of Tasmania is a good source for funding for the research project. In Tasmania, public money is usually allocated to academic research by the Tasmanians Research Councils. Therefore, this funding is a first port of call for many academics. In Tasmania, there are also other government departments as well as agencies that offer research funding for projects that are connected to the department remit including; the department of education as well as department of international development. Tasmania Learned and Professional Societies The Royal Society on Tasmania is a funding source that offers grants and fellowships to academic researchers and other research organisations. Additionally, in Tasmania, professional societies also offer research grants as well as public engagement activities. They have websites that the researcher can visit to look for the appropriate professional societies that are offering funding opportunities. Charities and Trusts There are various charities and trusts that promote equality for marriage in Tasmania. These institutions provide academic researchers with funding schemes for research projects that are concerned with social problems. It will be necessary for the researcher to visit the website of these organisations so as to gain more knowledge of how the funds are accessed. 8.0 Relevance and Implications for Social Work The proposed research project is relevant and has various implications for social work. The research topic fits well with the aims as well as values of social work. According to the AASW Code of Ethics, social work is a profession that promotes social change, it serves to solve human relationships problems, empowering and liberating people so as to enhance their wellbeing (AASW 2010, p.7). The topic of this research seeks to investigate the impact of marriage inequality on people in same sex relationships. It is clear that, inequality in marriages need to be addressed. In social work it is a human relationship problem that needs to be solved. Social work is committed and aims at pursuing and maintaining the human wellbeing. Social work aims at maximizing the development of human potential as well as fulfillment of human needs by working with and supporting people so as to attain their best possible level of personal as well as social being. Social work addresses inequality as well as justice that affect the lives of people, client groups as well as the socially disadvantaged (Calma 2008, p.1). It also works to achieve human rights and social justice for all through social development, social change, ethical conduct of research and social advocacy. Therefore, this research promotes to support the social work aims by addressing the plight of people in same sex relationships due to marriage inequality. Additionally, the research project also fits with social work values of respect for persons as well as social justice. By recognising that marriage inequality does not promote the respect for persons in this research project, is a way of establishing the need to respect the people in same sex relationships. Bisman (2004, p.115) argue that, the social work profession maintains that, every human being has an equal worth and has a right to wellbeing, self-determination as well as self-fulfillment which is consistent with the rights as well as culture of others and viable environment. According to the Human Rights Education Associates (2003, p.1), marriage inequality does not respect these rights of persons in same sex relationships. Therefore, establishing the impact of marriage inequality to the affected group will help in coming up with solutions to intervene. In relation to social justice, social work maintains that, societies must uphold social justice for all by protecting and providing maximum benefit for all its members (AASW 2010, p.14). From the research project, it is clear that, people in same sex relations are not accorded social justice in the society and actions need to be taken to ensure these people are awarded the benefit of social justice in the society. It is clear that, the findings of this research project will further the aims of social work through the advocacy to achieve and respect human dignity and wellbeing for people in same sex relationships in Tasmania. In relation to the research design, the project meets the values of social work because the research considered ethical issues that must be addressed when carrying out the research. References American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2013, Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples, Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, Committee Opinion, Available at: http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/Marriage-Equality-for-Same-Sex-Couples Australian Association of Social Workers, 2010, Code of Ethics, Available at: http://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/1201 Australian Human Rights Commission, 2009, Sex Files: the legal recognition of sex in documents and government records, s 8. 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The Research Ethics Guidebook, 2015, Building ethics into the research design, A Resource for Social Scientists, Available at: http://www.ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/Building-ethics-into-the-research-design-8# Saunders, M., Lewis, P, & Thornhill, A, 2007, Research Methods for Business Students, 4th Edition, Harlow: Pearson Twomey, A, 2012, Tasmania’s Same Sex Marriage Bill-Implications for other States, Critical constitutional analysis by the CRU, University of Sydney, Available at: http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/cru/2012/12/tasmanias_samesex_marriage_bil_1.html Read More