Maybe Getting Going Now

This week I have been thinking towards an individual project proposal.  Thus, far I have been concerned with familiarizing myself with diverse methodologies, attempting to determine what I prefer.  Drawing from various sources and my understanding of those sources, I outline what I consider pros and cons of each.

Phenomenology

I love that the approach attempts to capture the essence of common experience between interviewees.  I also like that the researchers, at least in one study (Mottern, Davis, & Ziegler, 2013) bracketed out their personal feelings.  Yet, when I consider cons of this approach, at least that of the Hermeneutic approach of the authors, I do not like that researchers may not ask subsequent questions, unless they flow naturally from the course the interviewee takes in providing his or her descriptions.  I do understand that this method seeks to avoid corruption of the essence of the interviewees perspective, but I am at odds with the fact that great information might never come to light without interviewer directed changes in the course of interviews. 

Also, I think it is good to bracket out one’s perspective in doing research, but I don’t think any amount of bracketing will ever result in sterilization of researcher bias.  I see this bracketing as being more useful to inform readers of biases of the interviewer than anything else, and this transparency is useful.

Prior to reading the study by Mottern, Davis, and Ziegler (2013), I read a related chapter in Grbich (2013), and simply based on the chapter, I was most drawn to Heuristic phenomenology.  I would like to investigate what this approach looks like, as I am drawn to what reads like possibly an equal emphasis of the perceptions of the researchers and the perceptions of other subjects.  I like this because it sounds like this approach welcomes the perspectives of the researcher as an integral component of the study.

Critical Ethnography

I do not think I have read a critical ethnography, but I am intrigued by the activist role in the method.  While I might actually abandon an approach like this in the end for privacy reasons and fall back on something like phenomenology, I find it difficult to separate passion from my study.   I am concerned with power issues.  That is, I do not find it necessary to start from the ground and work up as in grounded theory.  That is not the point.  Also, advocacy is honestly more important to me than the essence of experience, though I know one cannot conduct a study without doing some research into subjects or phenomena.

Also, I have read briefly of postcritical ethnography.  This sounds a little like phenomenology in terms of the researcher acknowledging his or her bias???

Autoethnography

I would love to do this, but I know it would be total narcissism and potentially a fast track to disaster.  I also don’t want to reveal that much about myself.

Grounded Theory

Since I’m probably going to take up a study I’m passionate about, it is difficult for me to see myself beginning for the position of not knowing anything.

Feminism and Intersectionality

To me this just seems like critical ethnography from the perspective of feminism or some intersectionality of positions.  This sounds good to me.

In summation, I feel as though I am leaning towards critical ethnography, but I am not sure.  I need to complete further reading.  I have ordered two books on critical ethnography, and I have ordered the book on writing a qualitative dissertation that you recommended, though I ordered the late 1990s edition.  In total these book together were less than $12, and that includes shipping.  Therefore, if I change my mind, there will not really be a consequence.  I would like to propose an investigation of two or three of these approaches for my literature review.  That is what I think would be beneficial for me at this point.  Then, engaging in this investigation and bibliography building would lead me to a preferred method that I would use in the coding phase of the project.

Grbich, C.  (2013). Qualitative data analysis: An introduction (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE.

Madison, S. D. (2005). Critical ethnography: Method, ethics, and performance.  Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/4957_Madison_I_Proof_Chapter_1.pdf

Mottern, R., Davis, C. A., & Ziegler (2013). Forced to learn: Community-based correctional education. Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice and Criminology, 1(2), pp. 317-346.