Explain how the issue creates a performance problem for the organization.

Explain how the issue creates a performance problem for the organization.

The relationship between the organization and its members can be greatly influenced by what motivates individuals to work. The style of leadership, job design, resources on the job, and environment can all have a significant effect on the satisfaction of employees and their performance. Performance is also influenced by individual motivations (e.g., social, recognition, financial reward, personal growth and development, and/or intrinsic satisfaction) and can equally impact the organization. There are many theories that attempt to explain the nature of motivation. Evaluate the relationship between motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. Be sure to address the following:

How does unclear expectations or requirements from your supervisor create motivational issues in the workplace?

Use a content theory of motivation (e.g., Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg, or McClelland) or a process theory (i.e., Adams, Locke, or Heider and Kelley) to explain how the issue creates a performance problem for the organization.

Use the theory of motivation you selected to describe an intervention/action to change the motivation/behavior and correct the performance problem.

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Week 2 Project Diversity And Cultural Competency

Week 2 Project Diversity And Cultural Competency

The relationship between the organization and its members can be greatly influenced by what motivates individuals to work. The style of leadership, job design, resources on the job, and environment can all have a significant effect on the satisfaction of employees and their performance. Performance is also influenced by individual motivations (e.g., social, recognition, financial reward, personal growth and development, and/or intrinsic satisfaction) and can equally impact the organization. There are many theories that attempt to explain the nature of motivation. Evaluate the relationship between motivation, job satisfaction, and work performance. Be sure to address the following:

How does unclear expectations or requirements from your supervisor create motivational issues in the workplace?

Use a content theory of motivation (e.g., Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg, or McClelland) or a process theory (i.e., Adams, Locke, or Heider and Kelley) to explain how the issue creates a performance problem for the organization.

Use the theory of motivation you selected to describe an intervention/action to change the motivation/behavior and correct the performance problem.

The post Week 2 Project Diversity And Cultural Competency appeared first on graduatepaperhelp.

 

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Interpretive approaches in nursing research

Interpretive approaches in nursing research

Nurse Researcher

July 2015 | Volume 22 | Number 6 © RCNi / NURSE RESEARCHER22

Correspondence to gamandu@squ.edu.om

Gerald Amandu Matua RN, BSN, MSN, DLitt et Phil is a lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University College of Nursing, Muscat, Oman

Dirk Mostert Van Der Wal RN, BA, BA Cur, MA Cur, DLitt et Phil is an associate professor at the University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

Peer review This article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software

Author guidelines journals.rcni.com/r/ nr-author-guidelines

Differentiating between descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research approaches

Cite this article as: Matua GA, Van Der Wal DM (2015) Differentiating between descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research approaches. Nurse Researcher. 22, 6, 22-27.

Date of submission: August 7 2014. Date of acceptance: November 11 2014.

Introduction THE CONCEPT of ‘phenomenology’ emerged from the works of philosophers Kant, Hegel and Brentano, whose writings inspired Husserl to develop

phenomenology (Dowling 2007, Polit and Beck 2010). The phenomenological method has grown to become a credible approach for studying consciousness, including clarifying the foundations of philosophy

Abstract Aim To provide insight into how descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research approaches can guide nurse researchers during the generation and application of knowledge.

Background Phenomenology is a discipline that investigates people’s experiences to reveal what lies ‘hidden’ in them. It has become a major philosophy and research method in the humanities, human sciences and arts. Phenomenology has transitioned from descriptive phenomenology, which emphasises the ‘pure’ description of people’s experiences, to the ‘interpretation’ of such experiences, as in hermeneutic phenomenology. However, nurse researchers are still challenged by the epistemological and methodological tenets of these two methods.

Data sources The data came from relevant online databases and research books.

Review methods A review of selected peer-reviewed research and discussion papers published between January 1990 and December 2013 was conducted using CINAHL, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. In addition, selected textbooks that addressed phenomenology as a philosophy and as a research methodology were used.

Discussion Evidence from the literature indicates that most studies following the ‘descriptive approach’

to research are used to illuminate poorly understood aspects of experiences. In contrast, the ‘interpretive/ hermeneutic approach’ is used to examine contextual features of an experience in relation to other influences such as culture, gender, employment or wellbeing of people or groups experiencing the phenomenon. This allows investigators to arrive at a deeper understanding of the experience, so that caregivers can derive requisite knowledge needed to address such clients’ needs.

Conclusion Novice nurse researchers should endeavour to understand phenomenology both as a philosophy and research method. This is vitally important because in-depth understanding of phenomenology ensures that the most appropriate method is chosen to implement a study and to generate knowledge for nursing practice.

Implications for research/practice This paper adds to the current debate on why it is important for nurse researchers to clearly understand phenomenology as a philosophy and research method before embarking on a study. The paper guides novice researchers on key methodological decisions they need to make when using descriptive or interpretive phenomenological research approaches.

Keywords Nursing research, research methodology, descriptive phenomenology, interpretive phenomenology, qualitative research, novice researchers

Phenomenology

© RCNi / NURSE RESEARCHER July 2015 | Volume 22 | Number 6 23

and science. Phenomenology continues to influence generations of scholars in humanities, human sciences and arts disciplines (Koivisto et al 2002, Wertz et al 2011). In nursing, ‘phenomenology’ is a method of inquiry that aims to explore and understand people’s everyday experiences (Polit and Beck 2010, Grbich 2012). It is also a science that explores and describes the appearance of things in people’s minds (Streubert and Carpenter 2011).

In this paper, phenomenology is conceptualised as an approach to the generation of knowledge that originates from and is influenced by the works of Husserl, Heidegger and those who subscribe to their epistemological viewpoints. Phenomenology is thus a discipline that investigates consciousness in ordinary life and science, and emphasises intentionality of consciousness and the self-transcending way that consciousness relates to other objects, to reveal ‘hidden aspects’ of experiences (Wertz et al 2011).

Origins and focus of phenomenological inquiry Phenomenology originated from the disciplines of philosophy and psychology in the 20th century at a time when reductionist approaches to scientific inquiry ‘ruled’ in the natural sciences (Smith 2013). In this period, human phenomena were explored independently of the people experiencing the phenomena. This prevailing ‘epistemological atmosphere’ prompted Husserl to seek a rigorous and unbiased approach for investigating ‘things as they appear’ in people’s consciousness that would enable the inquirer to ‘come face to face with the ultimate structures of consciousness’ or the ‘essence’ of a particular experience (Koch 1995, Smith 2013).

Phenomenological inquiry starts by asking the question, ‘What is the nature or meaning of this phenomenon?’ It then seeks to explore the phenomenon from the perspective of those who experience it first-hand. The phenomenological researcher thus seeks to offer accounts of time, body, space and relations, as they are lived by the people whose lives are altered by the phenomenon (van Manen 1997, 2011, Grbich 2012).

The nurse researcher uses the phenomenological method to investigate meaningful experiences such as what it feels like to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS or to survive a life-threatening condition. Hence, the phenomenological method allows nurse researchers to critically examine experiences that are taken for granted, revealing their hidden meanings and essences, which caregivers can then use.

Transitions in phenomenology The phenomenological movement has transitioned over the years from emphasising only ‘pure description’, as prescribed by Husserl, to focusing on interpretation of experience, as advocated by Heidegger (Lopez and Willis 2004, van Manen 2011). This transition was led by Heidegger, Gadamer and Ricoeur (McConnell-Henry et al 2009, Streubert and Carpenter 2011, van Manen 2011). Although descriptive and interpretive approaches share the epistemological foundation laid by Husserl, significant methodological differences have emerged over the years between the approaches. It is thus critical that when researchers, especially novices, choose the phenomenological method as a research guide, they should be aware of some major methodological implications.

Descriptive phenomenology The main methodological consideration of descriptive phenomenology is the requirement to explore, analyse and describe a phenomenon while maintaining its richness, breadth and depth, so as to gain ‘a near-real picture’ of it (Van der Zalm and Bergum 2000, McConnell-Henry et al 2009, Streubert and Carpenter 2011). Doing this requires researchers to seek the content of consciousness in a ‘pure form’, devoid of any preconceptions, by engaging in ‘phenomenological epoché’ or ‘bracketing’ – ignoring all existing knowledge about a phenomenon so they can grasp its ‘essential’ elements (Giorgi 2008, Streubert and Carpenter 2011, van Manen 2011). This permits them to discover ‘the spontaneous surge of the lifeworld’, enabling them to achieve a more direct and primitive contact with the phenomenon as it is ‘lived’ rather than as it is ‘conceptualised’ (Merleau-Ponty 1962, van Manen 2011).

Epoché/bracketing hinges on ‘direct seeing’, which is the key to understanding an experience, enabling the researcher to look beyond preconceptions and tap directly into its essence (Husserl 1931, Tufford and Newman 2012). Hence, with descriptive phenomenology, the researcher emerges with a presupposition-less description of a phenomenon.

Interpretive phenomenology When the interpretive phenomenological approach is chosen, researchers need to focus on gaining a deeper understanding of an experience (Van der Zalm and Bergum 2000, van Manen 2011). Dowling (2007) and van Manen (2011) contend that phenomenological research becomes ‘hermeneutic’ when its method and focus is interpretive. The hermeneutic method allows

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nurse researchers to investigate the meaning of experiences related to issues that have implications for nursing research and practice, such as life, death and pain. It enables the interpretation of the meaning of the phenomenon to reproduce a clearer understanding of what the nurse researcher intended to portray. It also emphasises the ‘meaning of the meaning of the text’ – that is, the psychological implications of the ‘speech’, ‘language’ or ‘set of words’ in a particular context. For example, in patient care, hermeneutics can help researchers to investigate how patients interpret their diagnoses, including how these affect them as drivers, nurses or teachers.

This shift of focus of phenomenological inquiry from ‘description’ to ‘interpretation and understanding’ is grounded in the work of Heidegger who argued that all descriptions are already an interpretation, because understanding is an inevitable basic structure of our ‘being in the world’ (Heidegger 1962, Finlay 2008). People almost always interpret and find meanings in events in their lives, including how these events affect the context in which these individuals operate, as say mothers or employees (Heidegger 1962, Wojnar and Swanson 2007).

In essence, interpretive phenomenological research results in a detailed interpretation of the meanings and structures of a particular phenomenon as it is experienced first-hand.

Differentiating between descriptive and interpretive phenomenology While these two approaches to phenomenological research depend on experience and have a shared history (Flood 2010, Reiners 2012), significant differences exist between them in terms of research’s focus, outcome and goal, as well as the role previous knowledge plays. Further differences also exist in the way researchers value and consider the participants’ context of the experience being investigated, including how knowledge derived through a particular method is applied in the professional disciplines (Lopez and Willis 2004).

Focus of the research Descriptive phenomenology focuses on the generation of knowledge that emphasises ‘direct exploration, analysis and description of a particular human phenomenon as free as possible from unexamined presuppositions, aiming at maximum intuitive presentation’ of the experience (Spiegelberg 1975, Finlay 2008, Streubert and Carpenter 2011). Descriptive phenomenological research attempts to discover what it is like to undergo a particular experience. To do this,

the researcher focuses on describing as faithfully as possible the first-hand experience being investigated so that others are able to ‘see’ and ‘feel’ it, without mentioning any of the participants’ social, cultural or political contexts (van Manen 1997, Dowling 2007, Reiners 2012).

However, in interpretive phenomenological research, the focus shifts to achieving a deeper understanding of the experience (Racher 2003, Flood 2010), concentrating on unveiling the otherwise hidden meanings in the accounts of the experience (Spiegelberg 1975, Streubert and Carpenter 2011) and taking into account the various contexts of the participants. This difference arises from the interpretive phenomenologist’s ‘attending’ to the individual for whom the experience has meaning.

McConnell-Henry et al (2009) added that interpretive research departs from ‘simply raising awareness about a phenomenon’ through simple description in favour of wanting to ‘attain a broader and deeper understanding’ of what the phenomenon means to those who experience it in their own social-cultural contexts and realities, including how the experience alters their entire being.

Role of previous knowledge In descriptive phenomenological research, researchers are expected to ‘shed and keep in abeyance’ all their personal knowledge related to the phenomenon (Giorgi and Giorgi 2003, Lopez and Willis 2004, Tufford and Newman 2012), assisted by bracketing. Bracketing helps descriptive phenomenological researchers to achieve a state of ‘transcendental subjectivity’ and to ‘abandon’ their realities to understand the experience in its purest form (Wertz 2005, Wojnar and Swanson 2007). Wojnar and Swanson (2007) further contended that it is this desire for ‘reduction’ that has led some descriptive phenomenologists to propose that researchers should avoid an in-depth literature review before starting research, to prevent being ‘contaminated’ by prior knowledge. Descriptive phenomenology therefore attempts to ensure that researchers’ pre-understandings do not creep into the study’s findings (Dahlberg 2006, Finlay 2008, Giorgi 2011, Chan et al 2013).

However, in the interpretive framework, pre-understandings are not bracketed; instead, they are integrated and become part of the research findings, being considered valuable guides that make research more meaningful (Lopez and Willis 2004, Humble and Cross 2010). This assertion is based on Heidegger’s notion that interpretation is an inevitable and basic result of our being in the world (Heidegger 1962, Finlay 2008): whenever an object is interpreted as something, this is grounded

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Phenomenology

in the interpreter’s pre-understanding of the object (Heidegger 1962, Finlay 2008, Humble and Cross 2010), making it impossible for the interpreter to transcend it.

Furthermore, Streubert and Carpenter (2011) posit that hermeneutic research differs from descriptive approaches because it does not require researchers to bracket their preconceptions during data analysis, rather requiring the researcher to exercise what Finlay (2008), Wertz (2005) and van Manen (2011) described as ‘openness’, ‘empathy’ and ‘reflexivity’ respectively. In addition, Koch (1995) said that it is impossible to rid one’s mind of the background of understandings that lead one to undertake research.

Hence, contrary to the idea that presupposition ‘taints’ research data (Paley 2005, Giorgi 2008), pre-understandings assist in achieving a deeper understanding (Flood 2010, Humble and Cross 2010).

Outcome of the research Descriptive phenomenological research aims to ‘unveil’ how a particular experience presents itself, with ‘nothing added and nothing subtracted’ (Wertz et al 2011), the outcome being the arrival at ‘universal essences’ or ‘eidetic structures’, which are ‘pure’ descriptions of what an experience is that are not unduly ‘tainted’ by the researcher (Husserl 1970, Wojnar and Swanson 2007, Finlay 2008). Its methods ensure that the knowledge generated reflects the phenomenon as experienced by participants first-hand. This is why Newstrom and Davis (2002) portrayed descriptive phenomenology as aiming to accurately describe an experience and not generate theories or explanations about it, resulting in detailed descriptions of ‘what an experience is like’ for those people who go through it (Giorgi 2008, Wertz et al 2011).

The generation of ‘pure’ descriptions and ‘universal essences’ is aided by reductive processes, supported by the belief that there are features to any experience that are common or ‘given’ to all people who have had the experience (Lopez and Willis 2004, Giorgi 2008). Descriptive phenomenological research thus considers researchers as ‘aliens’ whose role is to grasp ‘what something is’ from the first-hand perspective of those who experience it (Wertz et al 2011) and then meticulously describe the critical elements, while emphasising individual or universal features of the phenomenon (Giorgi 2008, Streubert and Carpenter 2011).

In contrast, the goal of interpretive phenomenological research is to enter another’s world and to discover the wisdom, possibilities and understandings therein (Polit and Beck 2010). The goal of hermeneutic inquiry is to identify participants’ meanings of a phenomenon from the

blend of the researchers’ understanding of the situation and what participants and other relevant data say about the phenomenon in question (Wojnar and Swanson 2007, McConnell-Henry et al 2009). This ‘final product of inquiry’ – the deeper understanding of the phenomenon – is what Flood (2010) describes as ‘co-constitutionality’, Gadamer as the ‘fusion of horizons’ (Fitzroy 2012) and Heidegger as the ‘hermeneutic circle’ of understanding of an experience (Streubert and Carpenter 2011). This implies that meaning-making within the hermeneutic methods of inquiry connotes ‘shared meaning-making’, which requires ‘seamless fusion’ of the researcher’s and participants’ perspectives about the phenomenon being investigated.

In interpretive phenomenological research, understanding the essential elements of a phenomenon occurs when the researcher’s horizon – often consisting of social, cultural or interpersonal views (Fry 2009) – intersects with the meanings attributed by participants to the phenomenon (Flood 2010). Fitzroy (2012) said that to spawn the emergence of new perspectives through the ‘fusion of horizons’, researchers need to constantly question and re-question their existing knowledge during the hermeneutic circle of understanding.

In essence, in terms of outcomes, interpretive research focuses mainly on the understanding of socially situated meanings, habits and practices from a person’s experiences, thereby allowing common, taken-for-granted or concealed meanings and social practices to become more visible and intelligible for others (Spiegelberg 1975, Lopez and Willis 2004, Brykczynski and Benner 2010, Streubert and Carpenter 2011).

Value of context Radical autonomy, which arises from the Husserlian approach to the generation of knowledge, is another difference between the two phenomenological methodologies. In descriptive phenomenology, people are ‘free agents’, uninfluenced by the environment and culture in which they live (Plotka 2011). This implies that the impact of culture, society and politics on the individual’s ability to choose and act is unimportant (Lopez and Willis 2004, Flood 2010), and that the environments in which people live do not influence their experiences (Wojnar and Swanson 2007). Hence, descriptive phenomenological researchers describe essential features of phenomena, without paying attention to the socio-cultural contexts of the people being studied (Mackey 2005, Dowling 2007, Flood 2010).

In interpretive phenomenology, however, people are inextricably linked to and embedded in their

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‘life worlds’ (Mackey 2005) to the extent that their subjective experiences are inevitably influenced by the social-cultural contexts in which they find themselves (Mackey 2005, Flood 2010). Knowledge generation therefore shifts from the contextless description of descriptive phenomenology to explicating what individuals’ narratives of their experiences imply in their specific circumstances (Lopez and Willis 2004). It is for this reason that Benner (2001) advised that phenomenological researchers should understand and interpret the meanings of situations in the contexts in which participants experience them. This leads to what Todres and Wheeler (2001) termed ‘positional knowledge’ or ‘situated meanings’, which requires researchers to elucidate experiences in participants’ realities of time, space, relationships, body or culture (van Manen 1997, Van der Zalm and Bergum 2000, Flood 2010).

Application of the knowledge generated within the disciplines The final important difference between the two research methodologies relates to how the knowledge generated augments professional

knowledge. Lopez and Willis (2004) pointed out that because descriptive phenomenology generally results in knowledge that is free of context and universal in nature, research guided by this framework will largely be geared towards understanding what it is like for a person or a group of people to experience a particular phenomenon. Hence, disciplinary knowledge is built using descriptive phenomenology by generating new knowledge about a poorly understood phenomenon so that others can know its ‘distinct’ or ‘essential’ features, which then allows for a ‘generalised conception’ of the phenomenon (Lopez and Willis 2004, Streubert and Carpenter 2011).

In contrast, hermeneutic phenomenology generates knowledge that may be used to describe a poorly understood phenomenon, but in the context of the person experiencing the phenomenon (Mackey 2005, Pascal 2010). It not only generates new knowledge about defining features of a phenomenon (‘whatness’), but goes into great detail to obtain participants’ descriptions of a typical experience, explicating how the phenomenon affects their relations with others and experiences of their body,

References Benner PE (2001) From Novice to Expert: Excellence And Power In Clinical Nursing Practice. Commemorative edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ.

Brykczynski KA, Benner P (2010) The living tradition of interpretive phenomenology. In Chan GK, Brykczynski KA, Malone RE et al (Eds) Interpretive Phenomenology In Health Care Research: Studying Social Practice, Lifeworlds And Embodiment. Sigma Theta Tau International, Indianapolis IN.

Chan C, Fung YL, Chien WT (2013) Bracketing in phenomenology: only undertaken in the data collection and analysis process? The Qualitative Report. 18, 59, 1-9.

Creswell JW (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, And Mixed Methods Approaches. Fourth edition. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks CA.

Dahlberg K (2006) The essence of essences – the search for meaning structures in phenomenological analysis of lifeworld phenomena. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being. 1, 1, 11-19.

Dowling M (2007) From Husserl to van Manen: A review of different phenomenological approaches. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 44, 1, 131-142.

Finlay L (2008) A dance between the reduction and reflexivity: explicating the ‘phenomenological psychological attitude’. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 39, 1, 1-32.

Fitzroy P (2012) Gadamer and Hermeneutical Theory. tinyurl.com/orl2no5 (Last accessed: June 10 2015.)

Flood A (2010) Understanding phenomenology. Nurse Researcher. 17, 2, 7-15.

Fry P (2009) Ways In And Out Of The Hermeneutic Circle. tinyurl.com/ofw6359 (Last accessed: June 10 2015.)

Giorgi AP, Giorgi BM (2003) The descriptive phenomenological psychological method. In Camic PM, Rhodes JE, Yardley L (Eds) Qualitative Research In Psychology: Expanding Perspectives In Methodology And Design. American Psychological Association, Washington DC.

Giorgi A (2008) Concerning a serious misunderstanding of the essence of the phenomenological method in psychology. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 39, 1, 33-58.

Giorgi A (2011) IPA and science: a response to Jonathan Smith. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 42, 2, 195-216.

Grbich C (2012) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Introduction. Sage Publications, London.

Heidegger M (1962) Being and Time. Harper and Row, New York NY.

Humble F, Cross W (2010) Being different: a phenomenological exploration of a group of veteran psychiatric nurses. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 19, 2, 128-136.

Husserl E (1931) Ideas: General Introduction To Pure Phenomenology. Humanities Press, New York NY.

Husserl E (1970) The Crisis Of European Sciences And Transcendental Phenomenology: An Introduction to Phenomenological Philosophy. Northwestern University, Evanston IL.

Koch T (1995) Interpretive approaches in nursing research: the influence of Husserl and Heidegger. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 21, 5, 827-836.

Koivisto K, Janhonen S, Väisänen L (2002) Applying a phenomenological method of analysis derived from Giorgi to a psychiatric nursing study. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 39, 3, 258-265.

Lopez KA, Willis DG (2004) Descriptive versus interpretive phenomenology: their contributions to nursing knowledge. Qualitative Health Research. 14, 5, 726-735.

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Phenomenology

space and time, and placing the experience in the proper context of daily living (Smith 1987, Lopez and Willis 2004, Humble and Cross 2010). In the professional disciplines, interpretive researchers generally try to generate knowledge that shows how particular experiences affect people in their usual ‘landscapes’ (Lopez and Willis 2004). This contextual understanding and explication of experience hinges on the affirmation that people’s realities are invariably related to the world in which they live, since they cannot abstract themselves away from their own lifeworlds (Heidegger 1962, Lopez and Willis 2004, Pascal 2010).

Conclusion In this paper, we have attempted to clarify the methodological differences between descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research. We began with a general conceptualisation of what phenomenology is, and then highlighted its origins, focus and the transitions in the phenomenological movement. We then discussed the key methodological differences between

the two approaches, including how they each contribute to the development of knowledge in professional disciplines that ground their practice in people’s experiences of health and illness.

Most studies that follow the purely descriptive approach to research do so to unearth aspects of experience that earlier research has not yet completely uncovered (Wojnar and Swanson 2007, Polit and Beck 2010, Creswell 2014). However, the interpretive approach is generally considered when researchers want to examine an experience’s contextual features, such as a person’s or group’s culture or gender and other factors that might affect nursing practice, especially practice addressing the unique care needs of such clients (Polit and Beck 2010, Streubert and Carpenter 2011, Fitzroy 2012).

We conclude that it is critical that nurse researchers should choose to be guided by descriptive and/or interpretive methodologies only after carefully determining which method or methods they consider to be most appropriate in achieving their objectives and generating knowledge relevant to nursing.

Conflict of interest None declared

Online archive For related information, visit our online archive and search using the keywords

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Ethnographies with an Emphasis on Healthcare Research

Ethnographies with an Emphasis on Healthcare Research

The Qualitative Report 2013 Volume 18, Article 17, 1-16 http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR18/higginbottom17.pdf

Guidance on Performing Focused Ethnographies with an Emphasis on Healthcare Research

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Focused ethnographies can have meaningful and useful application in primary care, community, or hospital healthcare practice, and are often used to determine ways to improve care and care processes. They can be pragmatic and efficient ways to capture data on a specific topic of importance to individual clinicians or clinical specialities. While many examples of focused ethnographies are available in the literature, there is a limited availability of guidance documents for conducting this research. This paper defines focused ethnographies, locates them within the ethnographic genre, justifies their use in healthcare research, and outlines the methodological processes including those related to sampling, data collection and maintaining rigour. It also identifies and provides a summary of some recent focused ethnographies conducted in healthcare research. While the emphasis is placed on healthcare research, focused ethnographies can be applicable to any discipline whenever there is a desire to explore specific cultural perspectives held by sub-groups of people within a context-specific and problem-focused framework. Keywords: Focused Ethnography, Healthcare Research, Qualitative Methodology, Guidance

Introduction

Within an ever-increasing number of qualitative research genres (e.g., classical or anthropological ethnography, ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenology, narrative inquiry), focused ethnographies (FE) are very suitable for healthcare research as they can be pragmatic and efficient ways to capture data on a specific topic of importance to individual clinicians or clinical specialities, and to determine ways to improve care and care processes. They are able “to address specific aspects of fields in highly differentiated organisations” (Knoblauch, 2005). This paper defines focused ethnographies, locates them within the ethnographic genre, justifies their use in healthcare research, and outlines the methodological processes including those related to sampling, data collection and maintaining rigour. It also identifies and provides a summary of some recent FE conducted in healthcare research. While the emphasis is placed on healthcare research, FE can be applicable to any discipline whenever there is a desire to explore specific cultural perspectives held by sub-groups of people within a context-specific and problem-focused framework.

What is Ethnography? Ethnography is “the work of describing culture” (Spradley, 1979) using a “process of

learning about people by learning from them” (Roper & Shapira, 2000). Ethnographers essentially study situations in real-time, thus as they occur in their natural setting, to gain an in-depth perspective. This includes the overt or explicit dimensions of culture that are known and cognitively salient to members of that culture or subculture, and covert or tacit dimensions that may not be articulated by members of the culture or subculture, but nevertheless shared (Fetterman, 2010). What most clearly distinguishes ethnography from

2 The Qualitative Report 2013

other qualitative research genres and makes it valuable for researching healthcare issues, is its link between the macro and micro, thus between everyday interactions and wider cultural formations through its emphasis on context (Savage, 2006).

The depth of comprehension sought with ethnographies typically requires multiple data collection methods including participant observation, with “cultural immersion” over an extended period of time, interviews and documentary analysis (Fetterman, 2010). Ethnographic research is shaped by the nature of the relationship between the researched and the researcher, taking into account both emic (insider view) and etic (outsider view) perspectives and therefore acknowledging the existence of multiple realities (Fetterman, 2010). In as such, the reflexive and contextual dimensions are pivotal (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1998; Savage, 2000; Fetterman, 2010). Key characteristics that all ethnographies share include (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1998, p.110):

• Scrutiny of specific social phenomena, as opposed to deductive research that

tests out hypotheses; • A propensity to elicit unstructured data as opposed to pre-coded data; • Small sample sizes which may include just one case; • Narrative description as the product of analysis that includes an unequivocal

acknowledgement of interpretation of the significance and purpose of human behaviour; and,

• No quantification of data. While ethnographers may have originally studied whole communities or cultures, there is wide agreement that the methodology is eminently suitable for exploring sub-cultures or groups of people within complex, pluralistic societies (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1998; Higginbottom, 2004b; Fetterman, 2010). Moreover, a discrete field studied by numerous disciplines, considered medical or health sciences ethnography, focuses on describing the relationships between cultural beliefs and health behaviours.

Focused Ethnographies for Clinically-Orientated Research

Medical ethnography has at times studied the cultural perspective of an illness rather than that of groups themselves. When investigating specific beliefs and practices of particular illnesses, or particular healthcare processes, as held by patients and practitioners, the ethnography is considered focused (Magilvy, McMahon, Bachman, Roark, & Evenson, 1987; Morse, 1987). The focus on cultures and sub-cultures remains but is framed within a discrete community or phenomenon and context, whereby participants have specific knowledge about an identified problem. With FE, the findings are anticipated to have meaningful and useful application in community or hospital healthcare practice (Knoblauch, 2005). The genre originated with various ethnographers generating understandings in rural (Brink, 1982; Morse, 1984) and urban settings (Carr, 1996) related to the ways in which cultural beliefs determine health practices, such that culturally relevant practices can be planned and delivered. The genre is now used in many health-related fields, including nursing where the goal is often to enhance and understand practice by studying specific phenomena within distinct client or professional cultures and sub-cultures (Cruz & Higginbottom, in press; Roper & Shapira, 2000). Remaining a qualitative genre using an inductive paradigm to gain in-depth understandings, FE offer a different approach to deductive observational studies (e.g. case series, cohort studies) which may fail to capture a holistic perspective. These forms of ethnography have also been termed rapid appraisals, or micro (Spradley, 1980) or mini (Leininger, 1985) ethnographies, but the term focused best describes their problem-focused

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 3

and context-specific attributes (Morse, 1987). Moreover, there is a method of rapid assessment process which seems similar although requires intense, team-based fieldwork and does not answer specific questions (Beebe, 2001).

Characteristics and Methods of Focused Ethnographies Figure 1. Characteristics of focused ethnographies (adapted from Muecke, 1994).

Figure 1 illustrates the main characteristics of FE as described by Muecke (1994).

Table 1 differentiates between FE and anthropologic ethnographies in terms of their characteristics and data collection methods. With FE, topics of inquiry are pre-selected, participant observation is discrete (within specific timeframes) and can be limited or sometimes deleted (Morse, 2007) and interviews are at times highly structured around the issues. Participant observation might be in effect replaced by hypothetical scenarios, or structured vignettes, which are used to elicit views within interviews especially on sensitive topics when personal experiences may be hard to reveal (Higginbottom, 2006). Participants are often informants with in-depth knowledge and experience of the topic, rather than individuals with whom the researcher has developed a close relationship over time. Observation can include the principal subjects as well as “significant others”, such as the elderly patient’s child, to gain greater insight. Many FE have been performed by various disciplines, with some of those explicitly performed within a healthcare setting summarised in Table 2.

Participants usually

hold specific knowledge

Episodic participation observation

Used in academia as well as for development in

healthcare services

Conceptual orientation of a

single researcher

Focus on a discrete community or

organisation or social phenomena

Involvement of a limited number of

participants

Problem- focused and

context-specific

4 The Qualitative Report 2013

Table 1. Comparison of focused ethnographies to traditional anthropologic ethnographies. Focused ethnography Anthropologic ethnographies Specific aspect of field studied with purpose. Entire social field studied. Closed field of investigation as per research question.

Open field of investigation as determined through time.

Background knowledge usually informs research question.

Researcher gains insider knowledge from participatory engagement in field.

Informants serve as key participants with their knowledge and experience.

Participants are often those with whom the researcher has developed a close relationship.

Intermittent and purposeful field visits using particular timeframes or events, or may eliminate observation.

Immersion during long-term, experiential- intense fieldwork.

Data analysis intensity often with numerous recording devices including video cameras, tape recorders and photo-cameras.

Narrative intensity.

Data sessions with a gathering of researchers knowledgeable of the research goals may be extensively useful for providing heightened perspective to the data analysis particularly of recorded data.

Individual data analysis.

Conducting Focused Ethnographies Research Questions

The questions in FE relate to describing experiences within cultural contexts or specific groups/sub-groups. They tend to take the form of first-level questions focused on the “what”, such as “what are the shared beliefs, values, and practice patterns (of a specific population) in a specific setting (or who have a specific condition)?” Other key phrases are “what are the characteristics”, “what is the relationship between”, or “what is it like to.” Secondary questions may relate to ideas such as “what facilitates, constrains or sustains”, or “how did (particular group) engage with (particular group)” (Walsh, 2009). Knowledge of what is known in the literature or in clinical practice will help determine an appropriate question to generate new findings that are relevant and useful for the service environment. Sampling and Sample Sizes

Qualitative research generally uses non-probability sampling, wherein generalisability is not usually sought and a preference exists for information-rich data applicable to a specific population. Critique of qualitative research’s lack of usefulness and transparency can be diminished by clearly describing the sampling processes and characteristics of the sample (Higginbottom, 2004a). For FE, the most common type of sampling technique is purposive sampling, with complimentary strategies including snowballing (also referred to as opportunistic or nominated sampling) and solicitation. Purposive sampling stems from the fact that the participants have specific knowledge or experience which is judged to be of interest to the investigation (Crookes & Davies, 1980). Often key informants are invited to

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 5

participate, with the hope that they will act as gate keepers and thus enable access to the study population. Snowballing occurs when participants act as recruitment or referral agents for further participation, while solicitation requires “cold call invitation” to individuals in relevant positions within the community or relevant organisations.

In times of economic constraint in respect of healthcare research funding, collecting data from the whole population of a group will usually be far too extensive except in those cases where the group works in or frequents a small hospital unit or clinic rather than, for instance, a population of patients with a particular disease. Often, a method of sampling within case is undertaken, whereby individuals are chosen as determined by their contributing to the achievement of maximum phenomenon variation such that the full range and extent of a phenomenon are represented (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Atkinson & Hammersley, 1998). Nevertheless, the method of sampling will be undermined by the number of participants in the subculture or group being investigated, and the number of participants will not usually be predetermined. Data saturation often dictates the sample size, such that participants are recruited until the topic has been fully investigated and no new interpretations are generated from additional participation (Guest, Bunce, & Johnson, 2006). Data Collection

Interviews will help validate observations (if undertaken) and provide directions for future observations, collect data on issues that cannot or have not been observed, and collect data on non-observable phenomena including feelings (Roper & Shapira, 2000). They can be formal or informal and usually incorporate open answered questions. Often semi-structured interviews will be performed, with the use of a topic guide containing themes or questions relevant to the research question(s). Moving from general to specific is often appropriate, with descriptive, structural and contrast questions complemented by probes (e.g., “could you tell me more about that?”, or “what do other practitioners do?”) to gain depth of exploration (Spradley, 1979). It is important that the interview be started after an informal opening, to put the participant at ease and establish their trust, and ends after a formal closing, or “sign off”, after the participant has been asked if they have anything else they would like to contribute. The interviews are usually tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim when consent is provided, although in-depth field notes may be written or digitally voice-recorded and transcribed especially when consent for recording is not granted, as has been the case in one of the author’s experience when studying migrants with precarious legal status. There is a continuum of observation between acting as participant, participant-as- observer, observer-as-participant, and observer (Byerly, 1969). Focused ethnography will typically use the observer-as-participant role which is not as time-intensive as that of the participant-as-observer. This role often serves for collecting specific information in settings where active participation is not allowed, thus making this well-suited for this research. While some intimacy is important to gain trust and close relations for sharing, researchers must not lose their objectivity. Examples of observation locations might be at hospital wards or clinics, or at social events of participants, such as at an ethnocultural dinner to learn about food choices. Often observations may move from descriptive to focused to selective, the latter of which may make use of checklists. The use of recording equipment may leave the researcher in a highly observant role (Knoblauch, 2005).

A variety of documents can be consulted including policies, procedural documents, epidemiological and census data, maps, photographs, patient records, test results, and biographical materials. These can be used to confirm or contrast interview and observation findings. Focused ethnographies often use a variety of recording equipment such as video- recorders, tape recorders, or cameras. When observations with or without recordings are

6 The Qualitative Report 2013

incorporated, field notes or reflective journals (largely providing contextual observations including those related to non-verbal communications) will often be used to offer a heightened perspective of the data particularly when multiple individuals are interpreting and analysing the data. Respectively, these means of data collection can be highly amenable to data sessions (Table 1) whereby a gathering of researchers may assess the data and provide intersubjectivity to the data analysis thus prompting different perspectives than if the data was analysed individually (Knoblauch, 2005). Data Analysis

Analysing data from FE demands the researcher engage in an iterative, cyclic, and self-reflective process, as preliminary interpretations are challenged and data are continually revisited to plan for further data collection to generate new insights into the data (Pope, Ziebland, & Mays, 2000; Higginbottom, 2004b). The process of analysing FE is also characterised by the identification and classification of the data, which then progresses to abstract generalisations and explanation of patterns. A systematic approach for analysing ethnographic data, as expounded by Roper and Shapira (2000), can be followed and is highly compatible with computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software such as Atlas.ti (ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH, Berlin, Germany) or NiVivo (QRS International, Victoria, Australia). Analytical steps include, (a) coding for descriptive labels, (b) sorting for patterns, (c) identification of outliers or negative cases, (d) generalising with constructs and theories, and (e) memoing including reflective remarks. The analytical steps are focused on creation of answers to specific problem-orientated research questions and consequentially the creation of concrete recommendations. Maintenance and Evaluation of Rigour

Determining the methodological and analytical rigour of ethnographies is difficult and may largely depend upon the setting and purpose. Rigour and robustness in qualitative research are to some extent established via a self-conscious and reflective approach, but they are also accompanied by an explicit methodological framework (Higginbottom, 2004b). The conventional criteria for evaluating logical positivist approaches are not suitable for qualitative constructivist approaches where the stability (reliability) and wide applicability (external validity) are not always possible or desired (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The field of evaluation in qualitative research is evolving constantly; it may therefore be considered inappropriate to suggest one approach to evaluate all qualitative research in a generic fashion. Focused ethnographies could be equally evaluated by the criteria of one of many variations listed in Box 1. Much of the terminology can be different, such as that defined in the foundational work by Lincoln and Guba (1985), who postulated that assessment of rigour (quality, trustworthiness) can be performed using the criteria of credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability.

In qualitative research the investigators are relied upon to represent the data with integrity, such that one can consider the researcher characteristics when evaluating their conclusions. Additionally, data collection tends to include “triangulation,” with multiple means of data collection (e.g., supporting open-ended or semi-structured interviews with observation) to compare data and confirm findings (Muecke, 1994). Moreover, the depth of understanding can be enhanced by contextualising the participants adequately and accurately in their local environments. The context of the study must be explained with differences and similarities to other similar contexts examined, often using theory or other empirical study (Mays & Pope, 1995).

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 7

The Ethnographer’s Role and Reflexivity

Fetterman (2010) states that the ethnographer is a human instrument. In this respect,

the role of the ethnographer is to eliminate all personal biases and preconceptions prior to entering the study domain. The extent to which this is truly achievable is open to challenge, as our deeply held, internalised beliefs and values may be impossible to disregard (Higginbottom, 2004b). Focused ethnographies are often performed within the researcher’s own working environment whereby patients, or participants, are conveniently available. During examinations of patient healthcare experiences and perceptions regarding quality of care, which may largely depend on the patient-provider relationship, the concept of reflexivity is crucial during interpretation of the data and when drawing conclusions. Moreover, within this context there becomes a heightened need for ensuring maintenance of respect for human dignity, through gaining full informed consent from both patients and practitioners (emphasising the voluntary and confidential nature of the research) and for demonstrating genuine concern for their welfare and justice. Box 1. Additional resources related to maintaining and assessing rigour in qualitative research

  1. Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal of Qualitative Health Care, 19, 349-357. Retrieved from http://intqhc.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/6/349.full
  2. Kuper, A., Lingard, L., & Levinson, W. (2008). Critically appraising qualitative research. BMJ, 337, 687-689. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a1035.long
  3. Mays, N., & Pope, C. (2000). Qualitative research in health care: Assessing quality in qualitative research. BMJ, 320, 50-52. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/320/7226/50.1.full
  4. Cohen, D. J., & Crabtree, B. F. (2008). Evaluative criteria for qualitative research in healthcare: controversies and recommendations. Annals of Family Medicine, 6, 331- 339. Retrieved from http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/reprint/6/4/331
  5. Hannes, K., Lockwood, C., & Pearson, A. (2010). A comparative analysis of three online appraisal instruments’ ability to assess validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 20, 1736-1743. Retrieved from http://qhr.sagepub.com/content/20/12/1736.long
  6. Mays, N., & Pope, C. (1995). Qualitative research: Rigour and qualitative research. BMJ, 311, 109. Retrieved from http://www.bmj.com/content/311/6997/109.full
  7. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Conclusion

In healthcare research, many times the methods need to reflect the unique situations in which we are collecting data. Reflecting on the many divergences health researchers have taken with various patient groups, Morse (2007) states that “the methods inherent in qualitative health research are different enough and require enough skill to be considered a subspecialty of qualitative inquiry”.

8 The Qualitative Report 2013

Table 2: Some recent (2008 – present) examples of focused ethnographies in healthcare Reference Setting & sample Study aim Data collection

& analysis methods

Conclusions

Daack-Hirsch & Gamboa (2010)

Eighty purposefully selected individuals in four cities of the Negros Occidental Province in the Philippines, with a cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL+/- P), or who have children with either or both conditions; controls; and local health care workers.

To describe beliefs about the cause, prevention, and treatment of cleft lip with or without cleft palate, among working class people in the Philippines.

Individual and group informant interviews, using a topic guide. Content analysis of interview transcripts.

By eliciting and comparing patients’ explanations for CL+/- P with biomedical explanatory models, clinicians can better understand patients’ care seeking/ treatment behavior. This knowledge is useful to improve health outcomes, and for the design of health campaigns regarding CL+/- P in the Philippines.

Green et al. (2009)

Eleven parents of children aged 6- 12 years who had undergone heart transplant two+ years prior, at a heart transplant clinic at a large children’s hospital in mid-South USA.

To describe parents’ experiences of parenting a school-aged child after heart transplant.

Demographic questionnaires elicited patients’ racial/ethnic background, family composition and income, and transplant history. Topic guided in- depth qualitative interviews, with parents of the children at private locations of their choice. Recorded field notes were based on contextual observations during

One of few studies to document parenting experiences with child heart transplant patients. Calls for targeted attention to assist parents with: – integrating their child’s medical care into their daily lives – obtaining

peer support – seeking

continuous education to accurately appraise the risk of

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 9

interviews. Content analysis and constant comparison. Documentation of theoretical notes during analysis, served as an audit trail for conceptual decisions.

infectious disease associated with activities appropriate for their child’s development.

Higginbottom (2008)

Thirty-six adult African- Caribbeans, mostly long-term economic migrants to England.

To understand the meanings and consequences of hypertension to persons of African – Caribbean origin; and, To describe how these individuals perceive primary health care services.

Two focus group interviews, 21 semi-structured individual interviews and 5 vignette interviews. Ethnographic data analysis was guided by the framework outlined by Roper and Shapira (2000). Data management and coding processes were facilitated using Atlas.ti software. Interpretation of findings used Kleinman’s Explanatory Model of Illness.

It is incumbent upon primary health care nurses to recognize and take account of lay explanations of health and illness held by patients and/or their families. Failure to do so may compromise effective care giving.

Kelley et al. (2011)

Sixty-seven seniors, 13 proxy decision-makers, 61 staff members and 8 key community informants, in the Emergency

To assess the environment of an ED, and its impact on adult care, using a “senior- friendly” conceptual

Multiple methods including interviews with seniors or their proxy decision- makers, staff and key community informants;

The ED is an important part of seniors’ healthcare. Changes to policy and practice, and enhanced

10 The Qualitative Report 2013

department (ED) of a regional acute care hospital in Ontario, Canada.

framework. on-site observations; a staff survey; and hospital administrative data. Individual analyses was conducted on the various data sets; – descriptive and

inferential statistical analyses of quantitative (hospital administrative) data;

  • coding and

systematic inductive analysis of qualitative (interview and observational data) as outlined by Huberman and Miles (1998).

Findings of individual analyses were integrated and synthesized to formulate recommendations for policy, practice, and education.

education are needed to better serve the complex health care needs of seniors in this environment.

Kilian et al. (2008)

Purposive sampling using a ‘chain-referral’ process, of eight older adults who were “fallers” and their six of their

To examine the perceptions of risk regarding falling held by older adults and their adult children; and to

Open-ended interviews using a semi-structured interview guide, elicited insider perspectives (the elder adult’s or

Research on injury prevention among older adults must take into account in multiple family perspectives when

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 11

adult children living in urban Toronto, Canada.

examine the similarities and differences in these perceptions.

their child’s); Field notes provided the outsider (researcher’s) perspective to allow reflexive data analysis of both perspectives; and reflexive journaling during data collection and analysis facilitated examination of assumptions and evolving themes. Thematic analysis, used coded sections of data and examination of emerging themes (Fetterman, 1998). Participant checking provide elaboration, instead of verification of data. Data analysis was concurrent with collection, and continued until maximum phenomenal variation was achieved.

taking action to prevent falls. This will inform the development of strategies that respect iseniors’ independence, to encourage better adoption of these measures by the seniors.

Smallwood (2009)

Nurses in a cardiac assessment (CA) team in an acute hospital trust in

To explore, describe and interpret the roles of nurses in the culture

Seven semi- structured interviews, 5 participant observation

Four main roles were played by nurses on the team. These were the gatekeeper,

12 The Qualitative Report 2013

the UK. established on the CA team.

sessions, (observer-as- participant) and reflective field journal. Analysis followed the framework outlined by Miles and Huberman (1998).

specialist consultancy practice, catalyst and diplomat. There is a necessary interlinking of roles among team members in order to facilitate care in the unsteady organizational culture of a managed care environment.

Spiers & Wood (2010)

Convenience and theoretical sampling of community mental health nurses who had been providing brief therapy (10 sessions or less) or were involved in consulting practice for 3+ years in Alberta, Canada.

To describe the experiences, perceptions and actions of community health nurses in building a therapeutic alliance in the context of brief therapy;and to identify factors that facilitate or impede its development.

Focus groups and individual interviews, verification interview, and methodological journal writing. Thematic data analysis was modeled after the frameworks of Bunard (1991), and Morse and Richards (2002). .

Findings contributed to the empirical understanding of alliance-building actions of nurses in brief therapy. Building an alliance consisted of three non-linear overlapping phases: establishing mutuality, finding the fit in reciprocal exchange, and activating the power of the client. Inhibitions to alliance-building were related to patient history, environment (e.g., workload) and experience. Recommendations are made to enhance intentional

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 13

alliance-building. Wilkinson & Callister (2010)

Snowball sampling of 24 women at a pre- natal health care clinic in Ghana, West Africa.

To describe the perceptions of childbirth among child- bearing Ghanaian women.

Intensive participant observation, with field notes to record observations, impressions and insights. Using the Health Belief Model was as conceptual framework.24 women were interviewed individually during outreach clinic days. Content analysis involved comparison of interview and observational data to enhance the quality of findings (Roper and Shapira, 2000).

Seven themes were identified and several clinical implications were tabulated. Major conclusions were of many fears (including superstitions) related to maternity and birth and the holistic approach including respect of spirituality which must be respected.

References

Atkinson, P., & Hammersley, M. (1998). Ethnography and participant observation. In N. K. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Strategies of qualitative inquiry (pp. 110-136). London: Sage.

Beebe, J. (2001). Rapid assessment process: An introduction. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.

Brink, P. J. (1982). Traditional birth attendants among the Annang of Nigeria. Social Science & Medicine, 16, 1883-1892.

Byerly, E. L. (1969). The nurse researcher as participant-observer in a nursing setting. Nursing Research, 18, 230-236.

Carr, G. (1996). Ethnography of an HIV hotel. Journal of Nurses in AIDS Care, 7, 35-42. Crookes, P., & Davies, S. (Eds). (1998). Research into practice: Essentials skills for reading

and applying research. London: Balliere Tindall. Cruz, E., & Higginbottom, G. M. (in press). The use of focused ethnography in nursing

research. Nurse Researcher.

14 The Qualitative Report 2013

Daack-Hirsch, S., & Gamboa, H. (2010). Filipino explanatory models of cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal, 47, 122-133.

Fetterman, D. M. (2010). Ethnography: Step by step (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Green, A., Meaux, J., Huett, A., & Ainley, K. (2009). Constantly responsible, constantly worried, constantly blessed: Parenting after pediatric heart transplant. Progress in Transplantation, 19, 122-127.

Guest, G., Bunce, A, & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Method, 18, 59–82.

Higginbottom, G. M. A. (2006). “Pressure of life”: Ethnicity as a mediating factor in mid-life and older peoples’ experience of high blood pressure. Sociology of Health & Illness, 28, 583-610.

Higginbottom, G. M. A. (2004a). Sampling issues in qualitative research. Nurse Researcher, 12, 7-19.

Higginbottom, G. M. A. (2004b). The meaning and consequences of hypertension for individuals of African Caribbean origin: Perceptions of primary health care service. Unpublished PhD Thesis.

Higginbottom, G. M. A. (2008). “I didn’t tell them. Well, they never ask”: Lay understandings of hypertension and their impact on chronic disease management: Implications for nursing practice in primary care. Journal of Research in Nursing, 13, 89-99.

Kelley, M. L., Parke, B., Jokinen, N., Stones, M., & Renaud, D. (2011). Senior-friendly emergency department care: An environmental assessment. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 16, 6-12.

Kilian, C., Salmoni, A., Ward-Griffin, C., & Kloseck, M. (2008). Perceiving falls within a family context: a focused ethnographic approach. Canadian Journal on Aging, 27, 331-345.

Knoblauch, H. (2005). Focused ethnography. Forum: Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6, Art.44.

Leininger, M. M. (1985). Qualitative research methods in nursing. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G., (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Magilvy, J., McMahon, M., Bachman, M., Roark, S., & Evenson, C. (1987). The health of teenagers: A focused ethnographic study. Public Health Nursing, 4, 35-42.

Mays, N., & Pope, C. (1995). Qualitative research: Rigour and qualitative research. BMJ, 311, 109.

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Morse, J. M. (1984). The cultural context of infant feeding in Fiji. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 14, 287-296.

Morse, J. M. (1987). Qualitative nursing research: A free for all? In J. M. Morse (Ed.), Qualitative nursing research: A contemporary dialogue (pp. 14-22). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Morse, J. M. (2007). Does health research warrant the modification of qualitative methods? Qualitative Health Research, 17, 863-865.

Muecke, M. A. (1994). On the evaluation of ethnographies. In J. M. Morse (Ed.), Critical issues in qualitative research methods (pp. 187-209). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Pope, C., Ziebland, S., & Mays, N. (2000). Qualitative research in healthcare. Analysing qualitative data. BMJ, 320, 114-116.

Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, and Nana Y. Boadu 15

Roper, J. M., & Shapira, J. (2000). Ethnography in nursing research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Savage, J. (2006). Ethnographic evidence: The value of applied ethnography in healthcare. Journal of Research in Nursing, 11, 383-393.

Savage, J. (2000). Ethnography and health care. BMJ, 321, 1400-1402. Smallwood, A. (2009). Cardiac assessment teams: A focused ethnography of nurses’ roles.

British Journal of Cardiac Nursing, 4, 132-139. Spiers, J. A., & Wood, A. (2010). Building a therapeutic alliance in brief therapy: The

experience of community mental health nurses. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 24, 373-386.

Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Spradley, J. P. (1980). Participant observation. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.

Walsh, K. M. (2009). Disciplined silence: A focused ethnography of exemplary emergency nursing practice (Doctoral dissertation). ISBN: 978-110-928-0708708.

Wilkinson, S. E., & Callister, L. C. (2010). Giving birth: The voices of Ghanaian women. Health Care for Women International, 31, 201-220.

Author Note

Since 2007, Gina Marie Awoko Higginbottom PhD, MA, Postgradip (Ed Studies), RN

has held a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Ethnicity and Health and served the role of Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta, Canada. Prior to this Dr. Higginbottom was Principal Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Sheffield, England. She has twenty years clinical experience has a nurse, midwife and health visitor. Dr. Higginbottom’s research portfolio focuses on ethnic minority populations and immigrant health using participatory models of research and her ultimate goal is to improve healthcare access, delivery, and outcomes for vulnerable populations. Specific topics of investigation have included lay understandings of health and illness, chronic disease management in primary care, self-care strategies, the cultural congruence of primary health care services, access and utilization of primary health care services, and ethnic and cultural diversity in care giving. A dominant focus has been maternal health and well-being including parenting issues, healthcare access, perinatal food choices, and early parenthood and postnatal depression in different ethnic minority groups. Dr. Higginbottom has employed focused ethnography methodology in several of her research studies and appreciates its allowance for incorporating various perspectives which helps to increase the comprehensiveness of the findings. Dr. Higginbottom is Affiliated Associate Professor of Nursing at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, Visiting Professor at Sheffield Hallam University, and Assistant Editor of Ethnicity and Health.

Corresponding author: Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Ethnicity and Health (http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/), Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, 3rd Floor Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 87th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 1C9 email: gina.higginbottom@ualberta.ca, (p) 011-780-492-6761 (f) 011-780-492-2551

Jennifer J. Pillay, is Research Program Coordinator for Dr. Gina Higginbottom, Canada Research Chair in Ethnicity and Health, at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. In addition to her administrative roles, she provides research support and contributes to scientific writing for several team-based research projects. She may be contacted at jpillay@ualberta.ca

16 The Qualitative Report 2013

Nana Y. Boadu, MPH, is a doctoral candidate of Public Health Sciences at the School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and a recent awardee of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) April 2011 Doctoral Research Award. Her doctoral research investigates compliance among healthcare providers to policy guidelines for malaria testing in peripheral facilities in Ghana, and employs the focused ethnography approach. She may be contacted at boadu@ualberta.ca

Copyright 2013: Gina M. A. Higginbottom, Jennifer J. Pillay, Nana Y. Boadu, and

Nova Southeastern University.

Article Citation Higginbottom, G. M. A., Pillay, J. J., & Boadu, N. Y. (2013). Guidance on performing

focused ethnographies with an emphasis on healthcare research. The Qualitative Report, 18(Art. 17), 1-16. Retrieved from

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR18/higginbottom17.pdf

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without

permission.

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Ethnography And Phenomenology Designs

Ethnography And Phenomenology Designs

In this unit, you have learned about ethnographic and phenomenological approaches to qualitative research.

For this discussion, compare and contrast these two designs in 375-425 words:

—>Compare and contrast ethnography and phenomenology.

—>Compare and contrast descriptive phenomenology and interpretative phenomenology.

—>Provide an example of a topic and how a research study might investigate it through each design: phenomenology and ethnography.

Be sure to include citations from books and articles, two sample articles are attached below!

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Demonstrate the value of dashboards to help monitor and improve the operations in many of the firm’s business units

Demonstrate the value of dashboards to help monitor and improve the operations in many of the firm’s business units

  1. In a highly controversial move, your favorite social network has just agreed to allow Walmart access to the postings, messages, and photos of its users. Walmart will also gain access to user names and email addresses- in violation of the network’s privacy policy. Walmart plans to mine this data to learn more about what its customers want and to develop targeted direct mailings and emails promoting those items. You are so strongly opposed to (or in favor of) this change in the privacy policy that you are motivated to send a message to the social network expressing your opinion. What do you say?

You are the new operations manager of a large call center for a multinational retailer. The call center has been in operation for several years, but has failed to meet both the customers’ and senior management’s expectations. You were hired three months ago and challenged to “turn the situation around,” As you are sitting at your desk one day, you get a phone call from your boss asking that you lead a pilot project to implement the use of dashboards in the call center. The goal is to demonstrate the value of dashboards to help monitor and improve the operations in many of the firm’s business units. How do you respond to your boss’s request?

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Business Intelligence And Data

Business Intelligence And Data

  1. In a highly controversial move, your favorite social network has just agreed to allow Walmart access to the postings, messages, and photos of its users. Walmart will also gain access to user names and email addresses- in violation of the network’s privacy policy. Walmart plans to mine this data to learn more about what its customers want and to develop targeted direct mailings and emails promoting those items. You are so strongly opposed to (or in favor of) this change in the privacy policy that you are motivated to send a message to the social network expressing your opinion. What do you say?

You are the new operations manager of a large call center for a multinational retailer. The call center has been in operation for several years, but has failed to meet both the customers’ and senior management’s expectations. You were hired three months ago and challenged to “turn the situation around,” As you are sitting at your desk one day, you get a phone call from your boss asking that you lead a pilot project to implement the use of dashboards in the call center. The goal is to demonstrate the value of dashboards to help monitor and improve the operations in many of the firm’s business units. How do you respond to your boss’s request?

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disability culture plunge

disability culture plunge

Name: (last, first)

Date:

Class section (1 or 2):

RED ID:

General Studies 420: Disability & Society

Spring 2019

Assignment #5

Disability Culture Plunge Portfolio

15 points

For this assignment you are required to develop a portfolio that showcases your experience through a disability culture plunge. You will find the list of activity and event options for this semester on Blackboard. Students must use one of the pre-approved options from Blackboard in order to receive credit for this assignment. If you find an option that is not on the list, then please let us know so that we may review it and possibly add it to our list.

We strongly recommend that you plan this assignment early on in the semester. This means that you will need to contact the person in charge of the event in which you will participate (if applicable, depending on the event you choose). Some options are more structured and require appointments or reservations. And some are more casual. But the important thing is that you put this in your calendar now and plan to complete the assignment in advance.

Note: This is not community service or volunteer hours. You are not necessarily participating with a “helper” mentality. Your job is to immerse yourself into a culture with which you were previously unfamiliar, and to learn from the people of that culture.

A culture plunge can be defined as exposure to a culture that is different from our own and, in this class specifically, the culture of disability. For some of you, you may already identify as being familiar with disability culture. If so, you will need to explore an arena of disability culture that you are not as familiar with. For many of you though, this may be your first time interacting or being involved with the disability community. Either way, we are very excited to read about your experiences! It is normal for you to feel nervous, intimidated, or even fearful about this assignment, but we hope that this experience proves to be valuable and memorable and that the impact will transcend beyond your time at SDSU.

What is required for this portfolio? You will follow the guidelines below.

  1. About the Organization/Activity/Event/Person

2.5 points

This portion of the assignment includes background information about the organization:

a. Name, Location, Date of Culture Plunge, website link (if applicable)

b. Contact information (i.e., website, email, and name of contact person if applicable)

c. A brief 300-word description of what you did during your time and the types of disabilities that were represented at the event.

  1. Reflection

10 Points Total Please answer all 4 reflection questions to receive full points. No less than one page, double spaced, 12 pt. font response. Indicate A, B, C and D for each part of this response. Include the question and the answer to each question.

a. What were some assumptions you had before participating in your disability culture plunge activity? Explain. (Your assumptions can be positive, negative, or both.)

2.5 points

b. What was something new you learned during your culture plunge that you would like others to learn as well? Explain.

2.5 points

c. What did this experience leave you wondering about or wanting to know more about? Explain.

2.5 points

d. How might you see yourself contributing to the lives of people with disabilities now and in the future? And how might people with disabilities contribute to your life now and in the future? Explain.

2.5 points

  1. 4 Photos of the event/activity with at least one of the photos, including yourself clearly at the event. Include an explanatory caption with each photo. Your photo page is not included in your minimum 1.5-page count. Photos must be placed on the next page of your paper. You must include 4 pictures on the last page.

2.5 points

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Evaluate the same video from Unit III and IV to identify opportunities to improve the task using the concepts presented in your Unit V Lesson.

Evaluate the same video from Unit III and IV to identify opportunities to improve the task using the concepts presented in your Unit V Lesson.

Instructions

This assignment is designed to provide an opportunity to apply the concepts presented in the Unit V Lesson regarding controlling ergonomic risk factors with proper work environmental design. Specifically, you will be evaluating a work task to identify specific control measures that can be implemented to improve the design of the work.

For this assignment, you will evaluate the same video from Unit III and IV to identify opportunities to improve the task using the concepts presented in your Unit V Lesson.

goto https://youtu.be/2O6TqmKBrFI to access the video for this assignment. Please note that this video does not include audio.

You are required to develop a report that includes the following information:

identification of ALL of the environmental factors you observed in the video;

summarization of ALL the environmental factors you observed, including the potential impact each of them could have on the worker; and

recommendations for controlling the environmental risk factors using the hierarchy of controls (you must include at least one of each of the controls: engineering control, administrative control, and PPE).

Your completed assignment must include a minimum of two outside sources, one of which must be from the CSU Online Library, and the assignment must be a minimum of two pages in length, not counting the title and references pages. You may also include graphics to illustrate your design recommendations.

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