HIPÓTESIS
3. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS
3.3 Escalas de valoración
This was a qualitative, rapid ethnographic construct elicitation study that aimed at eliciting constructions of African ‘child well-being’. The research question addressed by this study was “How do African migrant children, parents and community leaders construct African child psychosocial well-being in Ireland?” This was answered through data collected from African migrant children, parents and key community leaders through focus group free listing exercises with children and parents and one-to-one semi-structured interviews with key community leaders. Resultant data was analysed through thematic analysis and formed the basis for the development of an Africa Child Cultural Psychosocial Well-being’ Scale.
Rapid ethnography is a compressed form of study design common in research studies though under various terms such as quick ethnography (Handwerker, 2001), rapid appraisal (Hildebrand, 1979), rapid rural appraisal (Chambers, 1994a, 1994b, 1994c), and rapid assessment (Beebe, 1995, 2001; Bolton, 2001; Bolton & Tang, 2004; Betancourt et al., 2007). Central to these variations of rapid ethnography method is use of a combination of elicitation techniques involving focus groups and key information interviews to collect locally relevant data based on local realities for action that is more acceptable to local people, and completion of the project quickly, usually in 3 to 6 weeks with (Harris, Jerome, & Fawcett, 1997).
This method was chosen because it fitted in well with the aim of this element of the study, which was to collect locally relevant psychosocial well-being constructs to inform subsequent questionnaire development. A similar construct solicitation exercise utilising Rapid Ethnographic Assessment (REA) research method had been carried out successfully in Northern Uganda to understand the psychosocial problems of war- affected children (10-17 years) from their own viewpoint and that of their caretakers, in order to inform subsequent assessment and intervention efforts by organisations serving this population (Betancourt et al., 2009). Rapid assessment approach worked well with the children interviewed. Having worked with African population and with an age- group similar to the current study population, the researcher considered rapid ethnographic assessment (REA) methodology as applied by Betancourt et al., (2009), a suitable methodology to use in the exploration of local understandings of psychosocial well-being for the study population to inform subsequent measurement. The method has two key components. The first component involves free listing interviews with the study participants. followed by one-to-one interviews with key community informants identified by the free listing participants. All responses are then recorded verbatim on a standard Free List record sheet. On completion of the free list interviews, the researcher reviews the results to select themes to be explored in depth. Rapid assessment is achieved by focusing only on themes that are frequently mentioned and that are in line with the research questions. Once themes are selected, persons described by participants as knowledgeable of their circumstances, are then interviewed as key informants (KI). The second component therefore involves one-to-one interviews with identified key informants to discuss identified themes further. Resultant data is then analysed to inform subsequent measurement.
psychosocial well-being constructs were generated among African migrant children and parents in separate focus group discussion forums. Focus group data collection method facilitated free listing exercises to be carried out among a relatively large sample of people and in a relatively short time than would have been achieved through one-to-one free listing interviews. This was followed by one-to-one interviews with key community informants identified by the free listing participants. The interview method proved effective, probably because it is consistent with African oral traditions. The participants were keen to talk about African well-being explanatory model and consequent implications on help-seeking patterns, and also on well-being experiences of African children and/or their families that may have come to their attention in their day-to- day interaction with them.
Thematic Analysis (TA) analysis was undertaken for this segment of the study. The focus of this study was not on in-depth analysis of collected data but on identifying African Psychosocial well-being constructs to inform the development of an emically derived questionnaire to be used alongside other standardised questionnaires in subsequent measuring of well-being levels among the study population. Thematic analysis was chosen due to its focus on identifying and categorising themes within data (Guest, MacQueen and Namey, 2012). Thematic analysis would therefore target identifying and categorising patterned responses within REA data that captured something relevant to local understandings of well-being in regard to meanings attached to experience, attribution and responses to positive psychosocial well-being and psychosocial well-being threats. An added attraction of using thematic analysis is that Braun and Clarke (2006) give a comprehensive six step-by-step guidelines on thematic coding. These guidelines were adapted for data analysis for this segment of the study.
4.4.2.1. Methods
(i). Participants. Sixty one (N=21 adults, N=28 15-18 year olds, N=12 12-14-year-olds) participants took part in focus discussions’ free listing exercises’ while one-to-one interviews were held with three community key informants (N=1 pastor of a church dominated by African congregation, N=1 leader of an ethnic social support group, N=1 owner of an ethnic business premises). Table 3 below outlines the participant information, mainly age, sex, and country of origin.
Table 3
Summary of socio-demographic characteristics of REA participants (N=64)
Characteristics Mothers Youth Young Children Key Informants*
Number 21 28 12 3 Age 25-45 15-18 12-14 30-50 Sex: Male Sex: Female - 21 10 18 8 4 2 1
County Cork (n=9, Cork: n=19,
Dundalk)
Cork Cork
Country of Origin Nigeria (n=7) Cameroon (n=4) Kenya (n=3) Tanzania (n=3) Uganda (n=2) Ivory Coast (n=1) Chad (n=1) Nigeria (n=11) Ghana (n=5) Kenya (n=2) South Africa (n=1) Zimbabwe (n=3) Cameroon (n=6) Somali (n=2) Kenyan (n=2) Zimbabwe (n=3) Nigeria (n=1) Somali (n=2) Ghana (n=2) Sudan (n=1) South Africa (1) Nigeria Cameroon Ghana
Key informants were comprised of three community key informants’ (N=1 Pastor of an African dominated church, N=1 leader of a Cameroon ethnic social support group, N =1 owner of an African ethnic business premises).
East, central, western and southern regions of Africa were represented in the sampling of all study participants.
Similarly to grounded theory participants, focus group free listing participants were recruited conveniently on the basis of accessibility through different gateways such as my social networks, ethnic community networks, churches, youth groups, African shops and salons. Snowballing sampling method was also used through a social contact in Dundalk who was involved in data collection in Dundalk for a project dealing with transnational parenting among Nigerian mothers living in Ireland. The literature suggests that focus group method is suitable for children over 6 years because they have acquired the language skills to be effective participants within group discussions (Vaughn et al., 1996). Therefore, sampling was targeted at a wide range of age group 6- 18 though the actual study sample was comprised of age groups 12-18. The sampling frame incorporated a gender consideration though the actual sample was more skewed towards mothers and had a slightly higher number of male youth than females. Within REA method (Bolton, 2001; Bolton and Tang, 2004: Betancourt et al., 2009) key informants to be interviewed are identified by focus discussion participants. The three key community leaders interviewed for (N=1 Pastor of an African dominated church; N=1 leader of a Cameroon ethnic social support group; N =1 owner of an African ethnic business premises) were identified by free listing focus group participants as knowledgeable in aspects of local experiences of African children and their families.
(ii). Materials. Information sheet and consent forms; free listing and one-to-one interview schedules; and a standard free list record sheet.
Information sheet. This contained a brief outline of the aims of the study as a whole, and those of this element of the study in particular. It also contained information on what participants were expected to do if they decided to participate, the time commitment expected from them, and that they were not required to give names to ensure anonymity and confidentiality which would be maintained throughout the study period and in the event of publication.
Consent form. This contained information on willingness to participate and option of withdrawing consent at any juncture within the interview process. The consent form was in duplicate to facilitate retention of signed copy by both the researcher and the participant.
Free listing schedule. It contained the list of questions for the participants. They were asked to talk about the kind of worries, difficulties (including thinking, feeling, doing), that they or their children (parents) other African children/youth face at home, school and/or even outside of home and school? Probes used were such as ‘would you know if yourself or someone you know is experiencing worries/difficulties?’ ‘*If yes, would you know the cause or why you or them may be experiencing difficulties/problems?’
Participants were also asked to talk about what helps when experiencing worries/difficulties (incl. thinking, feeling or doing). Probes explored difficulties/problems at the individual, family and community level and at the level of cultural activities/practices, religion/spirituality, trans-national activities, newly created African communities.
Other questions were:
Where or to whom they or other African children/youth go to if they want help with worries/problems?
Probes were focused on help-seeking preferences such as why this support and not others and/or on seeking help from services such as GP/Psychologist/Psychiatrist/Traditional Healer/Spiritual healer.
Standard free-listing record sheet. This was a blank sheet used to record verbatim all free listed responses.
A one-to-one-one interview schedule. It contained a list of generated free-listing themes upon which the key informants were asked to elaborate on.
(iii). Procedure. Study II data collection was undertaken in over a three-month period in 2010.
Rapid ethnographic assessment free listing exercises. These exercises were carried out in eight focus groups forums comprised of: three groups of mothers in Cork county (group 1=7, group 2=6, group 3=8, total number=21); one group of African youth in Cork county aged 15-18 (n=9); two groups of African children in Cork country (group 1=5, group 2=7, total number = 12); and two groups of African youth aged 15-18 in Dundalk county (group 1=10, group 2=9, total number= 19). I carried out all the free listing focus groups in Cork country. Forums with mothers were held at a local church hall, those with the African youth at a local community youth centre hall, while those with younger children were held at an outdoor entertainment centre venue. The focus group forums with African youth in Dundalk were carried out by a researcher who was already involved in data collection among African migrant families for a project dealing with transnational parenting among Nigerian mothers living in Ireland. All the meetings
were held at a time that was convenient to both the researcher and the participants. Prior to commencement of the free listing exercises, participants were presented with an information sheet explaining the nature of the study and a statement of informed consent. Consent forms were signed in duplicate to facilitate both the researcher and participant to retain a copy. Free-listing exercises with mothers and youth (15-18) took about 1 hour while those with children took 30 and 40 minutes each. All responses were recorded on a standard free list record sheet with the consent of the participants. Participants were debriefed at the end of the free listing exercises and no issues of concern were raised.
One-to-One Interviews with key informants. These interviews were carried out in premises identified by the key informants themselves. The interview with the Pastor was carried out in the church premises in Cork city, the one with the Cameroon ethnic support group leader was carried out in her home and that of the owner of an ethnic shop was carried out in the shop premises during closed hours in the evening. At the beginning of the interview, I presented an information sheet and a consent form to each of the three key informants. They were all eager to participate and therefore once the consent forms had been signed, the interviewing process commenced. These interviews took between 11/2 to 2 hrs. There was a proper debriefing after each of the interview sessions and notably, each of the three participants was appreciative of the fact that they had been given an opportunity to have their voices heard pertaining to well-being experiences of a community that they served.
(iv). Transcription, coding and analysis. Braun and Clarke (2006) comprehensive six step-by-step guidelines on thematic coding were adapted for data analysis for this segment of the study. The first step involves becoming familiar with the data by
transcribing if necessary, repeated and active reading of the data in search of meanings, patterns and taking notes on initial ideas. The second step involves systematic line-by- line generation of initial codes to identify interesting features with a view to creating themes. Step three involves sorting codes into potential themes, and collating relevant data extracts. The fourth step involves reviewing the themes, which may involve removing some themes, merging or splitting others. Braun and Clark refer to this step as a fine-tuning exercise. Step five involves defining and naming the themes in preparation for write-up. The last step involves production of the report and in the case of the current study, writing of scale items based on the resultant themes.
Detailed discussion of the data analysis undertaken in this segment of the study is given in chapter 6.
(v). Ethical Consideration. The information sheet and the consent form presented to free listing and one-to-one interview participants detailed the nature of the study including anonymity, willingness to participate and right of withdrawal, and confidential conditions of the study. However, the three community leaders interviewed however wished to have their identity linked to the interviews and I respected their wishes. During free listing exercises with younger children (12-14 yrs), their assent to participate was regularly monitored by sensitive attention to any signs, verbal & non- verbal of fatigue or intention to withdraw from further free-listing exercise. There was a proper debriefing after free listing exercises’ and after each of the key informant interview sessions.