Qualitative Field Methods: Interviews and Ethnography - Essay Example

Gender Roles Introduction In almost every society, different genders are expected to conform to certain expectations or norms. For example, males andfemales are expected to think, act, dress, and interact in certain ways depending on the society from which they come (Wood & Eagly, 2002). Studies show that such gender schemas are deeply rooted in the cognitive frameworks in relation to what defines feminine and masculine. Among others, socializing agents include teachers, movies, peers, religion, music, books, and television (Fausto-Sterling, 2000). While there are several socializing agents that impact on and reinforce gender roles, parents perhaps play the greatest role in this respect, especially with regard to their own offspring. Sociologists note that adults treat and perceive infants of the male and female gender differently. To a great extent, they do this themselves having been expected to conform to gender expectations when they were young according to Fausto-Sterling (2000). Indeed, it is often the case that the gender roles that one learns in their childhood will stick with them into adulthood. In adulthood, people maintain presumptions about power, decision making, division of labour and child bearing practices among other issues. On their part, children receive approval when they as they meet gender expectations and adopt roles that are deemed to be conventional from the cultural point of view. The issue of gender roles and differences is worth researching about considering that there are several changes that have been witnessed over the last several decades as a consequence of globalization. It is interesting trying to establish from people what in their view have led them to adopt the gender roles that they hold today. The rationale for taking a qualitative approach Qualitative research is useful in understanding human behaviour in depth as noted by Strauss and Corbin (1990). It is also useful in understanding the reasons that govern these behaviours. In other words, qualitative research establishes the “why” and “how” and therefore goes beyond establishing the “who”, “when”, “where” and “what”. Individual interviews are one of the qualitative approaches used in collecting primary data. An interview basically involves collecting data from a single individual in a structured and systematic way (World Bank, n.d). Interviews are useful in providing in-depth discussion and stories on one or more topics of interest to a researcher. The interviewer can ask for elaboration or explanation such as by asking follow up questions. Yet again, it offers the interviewee the chance to familiarize with the objectives of the research. There are a number of advantages and disadvantages associated with individual interviews. One of the main advantages in this respect is that they allow for more focused discussions and offer room for follow up questions (World Bank, n.d). Secondly, individuals tend to offer more information during interviews than they would otherwise offer when in a group setting as noted by Denzin and Lincoln (2005). Yet again, they can be great sources for context and stories. Furthermore, the non-verbal behaviors of the interviewee can be captured by the observant interviewer. On the other hand, one of the demerits of individual interviews is that they often require a lot of time (World Bank, n.d). They can also reduce the sample for data collection as well as the scope of the study. Yet another demerit of interviews is that data drawn from multiple interviews may be difficult to analyse or contradict altogether. Furthermore, there are chances that individuals may give biased or limited information especially when it comes to performance themes (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005). For the qualitative study, I chose to interview two individuals. I chose personal interview as the research method considering that it is less expensive to conduct and was more convenient for me especially since I sought to get in-depth information on the subject of gender roles. I interviewed two individuals – two ladies known to me. I chose the two since they come from cultures (African and Asian) different from mine and since they were a convenient lot to work with. Being from cultures that are foreign to me, I thought I would get a perspective of the gender roles that are instilled on females by other cultures. Reflection on the process of interviewing The interviews went well and as planned. I managed to gather the kind of information I was looking for. While this was the case, I experienced a few challenges getting time to interview the respondents since their schedules had to be taken into consideration. For one interviewee, I had to postpone the interview twice in a bid to accommodate her tight working schedule and busy family life. Also, while I had planned for the interviews to take roughly 15 minutes each, they ended up taking a longer period (roughly 25 minutes each). This was quite unexpected. This was necessitated by the fact that I had to ask follow up questions time and again and the interviewees took time to explain their answers. I think the interviews went well especially because I had informed the interviewees in advance of the objectives of my study and what to expect during the interviews. Also, since I had the opportunity to ask follow-up questions, I got in-depth responses from the interviewees. I am sure this would not have been the case had I used a questionnaire instead. Since the interviewees were known to me and were sure I was not probing anything related to their performances, they were relaxed and gave as candid responses as they could. As an interviewer, the respondents took me seriously knowing that what I was doing is related to my field of study. As a social person, I made use of my social skills to make the interview lively and while at the same time maintaining objectivity. From research, I have learnt that qualitative research seeks to answer questions relating to how and why (Strauss and Corbin, 1990). I took this into account during the interviews by asking follow up questions so as to understand why the interviewees behave in certain ways or conform to gender roles. I also tried to make the interview as short as possible so that the interviewees would not lose concentration as suggested by Strauss and Corbin (1990). Ethical aspects of the interviewing process Like it is the case with every research, there are several ethical issues that I had to consider or address before, during, and after the study. One of the main issues that I considered in organizing my study is the confidentiality of interviewees and their responses. In this respect, I ensured that I did not note down private details of the interviewees. I also ensured that I informed my interviewees that their privacy was at the core of my mind and that they needed not to worry about their details or that the information that they gave would be divulged to other parties. Another issue that I had to deal with during the interview is informed consent. I had to ensure that I received the consent of the interviewees before seeking their opinions during the interview. Seeking informed consent goes a long way in preventing litigations and overcoming ethical challenges especially where minors and people of unsound mind are to be involved in studies. The information and informed consent form that I provided the interviewees with briefly stated the objectives of the study, what the study involved, and the right of the interviewee to stop participating in the study at any time without having to give reasons for their decision. Most importantly, the note sought the permission of the interviewees to be engaged in the study. In general, the form had a brief introduction, stated the purpose of the study, and stated who can and who cannot participate in the study. The interviewee had a place to sign as proof of their consent to participate in the study. I did not face any serious challenge drafting the information and consent form. This is especially because I had a good idea of the details to include in the form and its main purpose. Earl (2010) notes that a consent form should explain the purpose and duration of the study. It should also outline the procedure, and risks involved in the study among other things. Yet again, it should disclose the extent to which the participant’s confidentiality will be maintained. In designing the consent form, I took these factors into consideration. Reflection on the process of data coding and analysis Onlineqda (2015) notes that coding involves combing the data for categories, ideas and themes and marking similar passages of text with a label for further analysis and comparison at a later stage. Data coding basically makes it easier for the researcher to search the data, compare and identify any patterns that demand more research or investigation as noted by Strauss and Corbin (1990). After the interview, I took time to code the information that I had gotten from each of the respondents. I read through the transcriptions that I had made several times highlighting in color specific themes, topics, key words, phrases and concepts. I realized that out of the two interviews, there emerged more or less similar themes, concepts and ideas especially because I had marked them with similar labels. In the event that I came across a theme that did not quite fit the codes that I had already created, I created a new code. What this means is that the number of codes kept growing and evolving as I thought more themes or ideas emerged. Some of the themes and ideas that I highlighted include cultural norms, socialization, stereotypes, education, housework, and child care. Worth noting is that during the coding process, I maintained an open mind taking into consideration what the interviewee was saying and the context under which the interviewee’s statements were made. I realize that my approach to coding was in the right direction given that it meshes with what Ryan and Bernard (2003) state about coding. The authors suggest that among other things, during coding, the researcher should ask questions relating to what is going on; what is being said; and how the context and structure of what is being said supports, changes, or maintain the statements. Yet another technique that I applied in coding the data was looking for word repetitions, key words, and comparing and contrasting. In general, I found the coding process time interesting albeit time consuming. I learnt the practical aspect of data coding which I hope will help me in the future. Data Analysis An analysis of the data revealed that many of the gender roles that individuals take as normal are either learnt or instilled during childhood. The information that emerged from the data collected during the interview also revealed that most of the gender roles that are considered appropriate are socially constructed and specific to cultures. One of the interviewees noted in this respect that, “what I consider to be a norm in relation to gender roles is mostly what the society from which I come considers to be normal or appropriate”. This notion meshes positively with the definition of gender given by the World Health Organisation (2015). The world body defines gender as the characteristics of women and men that are socially constructed. According to the WHO (2015), in as much as people are born either female or male, they are taught how to behave appropriately and norms instilled in them. My analysis revealed that there are many different agents that impact on and reinforce gender roles. Some of these include religion, peers, teachers, and parents. In relation to this, one interviewee stated that, “ …the way I behave is influenced by society to a large extent. As a Christian lady, I am expected to carry myself about in a certain way and avoid certain things. My teachers had expectations of me and I conformed to a huge extent to what they demanded of me”. Emphasizing what the first interviewee had stated, the second interviewee stated that, “My parents remain a great force in my life. From when I was young, they shaped me to accept certain things or actions as norms and others as out of the ordinary. I think they have played the greatest role in shaping my beliefs and attitudes in relation to gender roles.” What emerges from the two excerpts is that parents, teachers, and religion play a significant role in shaping gender roles. Peers are noteworthy agents that influence gender roles. Both interviewees noted that to some extent, their attitudes and beliefs in relation to gender roles have changed as a result of their interactions with peers. In this respect, one interviewee stated that, “In my culture, women are expected to be housekeepers, playing the main role in caring for the children. Over time as I interacted with peers from this country, I have come to believe that it is not out of the norm for men and women to share all housework equally”. The other interviewee stated that, “Influenced by my culture, I initially thought that certain courses and careers are best left for men. Today, I think otherwise....I know for sure that women, like men, can pursue high professional qualifications and careers that in my homeland are a no go zone for women”. I have seen my peers make such achievements and I am making strides too”. In relation to stereotypes, it emerged from the study that in different societies, men are supposed to be assertive, competitive, and ambitious. They are also supposed to be strong and fast. On the other hand, women are supposed to serve men and offer care to children and the weak. Furthermore, their pursuit for non-material things should be more pronounced than their pursuit for material things (which men are supposed to pursue after). One of the interviewees noted that, “one of the stereotypes that thrive with regard o women is that they are not as strong as men”. The other interviewee noted that, “women are stereotyped as being submissive to men and should hold clean jobs and do housework while men are supposed to be strong and ambitious”. Of interest to me was how non-conformity to gender roles is treated by society. From the first and second interviews, it emerged that those who do not conform to gender roles as expected by their culture or society are subject to disapproval, discrimination, violence, and oppression. One of the interviewees noted that, “It happens that if you go against norms, you are discriminated against or somehow oppressed. For young children, they are punished or their parents disapprove of them”. The other interviewee noted in the same respect that, “if for example you go against a norm, you can be treated harshly by members of society… say for example if people realize that you are gay in my culture, they will most likely shun you and meet you with violence. A lot of what has emerged from the interviews are in harmony with what other researchers have noted in respect to gender roles. For one, the interviews revealed that some of the agents that reinforce or influence gender roles are teachers, religion, peers, and parents. This is in agreement with what Fausto-Sterling (2000) notes. Fausto-Sterling states that some of the agents that impact on gender roles include teachers, movies, peers, religion, music, books, and television. The stereotypes held in respect of men and women in different societies as discovered from the two interviews feature prominently in work of Fischer (2000). It also emerges from the study that non-conformity to gender roles attracts discrimination, violence, oppression and disapproval. This is well in line with what Steffensmeier and Allan (1996) note regarding going against cultural and social norms. References Denzin, K. & Lincoln, Y. (Eds.). (2005) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd ed.), Sage, CA: Thousand Oaks. Earl B. (2010) The practice of social research (12th ed.). Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage Fausto-Sterling, Anne (2000) Sexing the body: gender politics and the construction of sexuality, Basic Books, New York. Fischer, A. H. (2000) Gender and emotion: Social psychological perspectives. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Onlineqda (2015) How and what to code, viewed 23 May, 2015 from http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/Intro_QDA/how_what_to_code.php Ryan, G.W. and Bernard, H.R. (2003) Techniques to Identify Themes, Field Methods, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 85-109. Steffensmeier, D. & Allan E. (1996). "Gender and Crime: Toward a Gendered Theory of Female Offending". Annual Review of Sociolog, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 459–487. Strauss, A. & Corbin (1990) Basics of Qualitative Research. Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques, CA: Sage, Newbury Park. WHO (2015) Gender, viewed 23 May, 2015 from http://www.who.int/gender-equity-rights/understanding/gender-definition/en/ Wood, W. & Eagly, A. H. (2002) "A cross-cultural analysis of the behavior of women and men: Implications for the origins of sex difference". Psychological Bulletin, vol. 128, pp. 699–727. World Bank (n.d.) Interviews, viewed 23 May, 2015 from siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/.../5Final-Interviews.pdf Read More