In the Module 2 discussion, we were to address the following questions via a video response and interact with our classmates on their perspectives of these topics. Our video response to this week’s discussion topic was to be approximately 2-4 minutes. This discussion is meant to be used to prepare for our written proposal and Signature Assignment presentation due later in the course. We were to use our course readings as a resource when developing our video response. Additionally, we were allowed to use the video format of our choice.
- What types of problems are best suited for qualitative inquiry?
- More specifically, how can proponents of social justice utilize qualitative research to advocate for their cause?
- What research skills are required to undertake this type of research?
- What types of ethical issues need to be anticipated during the process of qualitative research?
- How do you plan to incorporate social justice ideas into your own qualitative research proposal in the course?
The Potential for Social Justice in Qualitative Study
Frank Jamison
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
EP607 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research
Dr. Kelly Broxterman
March 15, 2023
The Potential for Social Justice in Qualitative Study
Guishard, et al. (2018) reveal that qualitative research is a dynamic process that takes on many forms, which include case studies, participatory action research, narrative research, phenomenological research, ethnographic research, and grounded theory research. Each of which is suited to a particular type of problem.
Typically, case studies are used when asking ‘how’ or ‘why’ questions, when the investigator has little control over events, and when the topic is a contemporary phenomenon within a real-life setting. Case study research is effective for exploring, describing, or explaining things and could involve one person, multiple people, groups, organizations, or an event.
The research study or evaluation process in participatory action research often has a strong social justice focus. It is about improving practice and creating knowledge in social groups through mutual participation in the study between researcher and participant.
Narrative research is about studying lives through stories. A narrative approach can be used alone or in conjunction with other qualitative approaches. In it, you can recount the details of a single life or the lives of a few people, and it can be biographical or autobiographical.
Phenomenological research is about people’s lived experiences. A phenomenological study looks at a shared human experience, like surviving breast cancer, losing a child, or winning the lottery. Through collecting and analyzing data from a small number of participants, the researcher generates a description of the meaning, structure, and essence of the lived experience.
An ethnographic study is about a whole culture. Basically, an ethnographer describes and interprets how people share values, behaviors, beliefs, and language. Information is gathered in the field by the researcher and usually involves direct observation and in-depth interviews, but art forms and cultural artifacts may also be helpful.
In grounded theory research, the researcher uses an iterative process. In this case, it’s more about generating a theory than testing it. To collect data, the researcher travels to the natural setting where the participants live and work to talk to people who share a common experience or phenomenon.
Social justice advocates can use participatory action research to start anywhere and proceed through the planning, acting, reflecting, and observing cycles. This means participating in all stages of social practice and discourse changes and involves collaboration and critical reflection on the researcher’s own practices. Using data collection strategies such as interviews, focus groups, and written text (in the form of open-ended research questions), they can preserve the voices and practices of the marginalized group being studied to advocate for their cause.
To conduct qualitative research, researchers must understand that reality is socially constructed and must be deeply embedded in their study — the research setting, participants, and data they’re collecting. Qualitative researchers also need to be reflexive, aware of their own political and social perspectives, yet open to self-questioning and self-understanding.
In the article by Guishard, et al. (2018), a myriad of ethical issues needs to be anticipated when conducting qualitative studies. It’s possible that researchers develop relationships with participants that lead to them revealing more than they would otherwise while also making them vulnerable to secondary trauma. This is known as intersubjectivity, and one should try to understand this through reflexivity and discussion with respected colleagues. There is a very real possibility of damaging communities in the name of research. With each encounter, the potential exists for communities to transform their self-perception through participation in community-based research, which may injure their dignity. In some cases, researchers can engage in critical inquiry that perpetuates inequality by privileging their own group. And finally, there is the possibility for researchers to become oblivious to their ethical responsibilities while researching social justice issues, believing that they are the knowers and the subjects are the known.
How do you plan to incorporate social justice ideas into your own qualitative research proposal in the course?
For the signature assignment, my research question might be, “How does the development of artificial intelligence used in apps like ChatGPT affect first-generation students of color in pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree?” In this case, I believe I would use the grounded theory research method to study a group of first-generation students at a local university who use ChatGPT in the creation of term papers to discover if students of color are more or less likely to use this application and how it has affected their academic careers.
References
Guishard, M. A., Halkovic, A., Galletta, A., & Li, P. (2018). Lessons learned from collaborative health research and indigenous scholars. American Psychological Association (APA). https://doi.org/10.1037/e626652009-001
Yates, J., & Leggett, T. (2016). Qualitative research: An introduction. Radiologic Technology, 88(2), 225-231.
Assignment Grade: 20/20
