4.5.4.1 Preliminary Data Analysis
The transcribed data were initially entered into Atlas-ti for data sorting and coding. To prepare the data for QCA analysis, researchers first coded the data according to thematic analysis. The coding process started with line by line coding, discovering and transcribing
interviewed content into diverse descriptive themes. During this process, codes were constantly reviewed, modified and sometimes re-coded. New codes were also added to the coding “bank.” Once the coding “bank” was constructed, researchers extracted abstract analytical themes based on the relationships between descriptive themes, such as evaluation of the material environment of the facility, personal experiences with residential care, meaningful activities, etc. Both descriptive themes and analytic themes were needed for the following QCA analysis.
4.5.4.2 Selection of Variables
The criteria for selecting variables were based on theoretical approaches in environmental gerontology as well as the frequency of descriptive themes. Physical, social, and personal aspects of home were three widely acknowledged categories of home in theory and empirical research.
These three aspects of home were also found to be major analytic themes in preliminary analyses of this study, which were consistent with the heuristic model of meanings of home by Osward and Wahl (2005). Each analytic theme comprised several descriptive themes. For example, the physical environment included descriptive themes of caring services, safety, management, food, sanitation, etc. Under each analytic theme, we selected two to three
descriptive themes that had a high frequency. Including the outcome variable, a total number of nine variables was selected.
The concept of home was derived from the preliminary qualitative data analysis that was based on elderly participants’ response to whether they considered the facility as a new or second home or showed personal preferences and willingness to age in the facility.
The factor care referred to participants’ subjective evaluation of caring services. This
evaluation might be related to elders’ personal assessment of the quality of actual caring services or caregivers’ attitudes toward residents.
From the institutional aspect, management was another theme that frequently emerged in participants’ responses. It referred to elderly residents’ evaluation of the operation, policies, or procedures in the facility. This factor differed from care in that it had less association with characteristics of caregivers or caring services, but was more concerned with the operational system in general and management strategies developed and implemented by facility owners.
The presence of formal activities referred to whether the elder care facility offered or arranged regular meaningful activities or events for their residents. This factor concerned the social aspect of environment in long-term care.
Friendship was a factor selected under the analytical theme of social relationships in elder care homes. It addressed whether elderly participants were able to develop or maintain a personal social network in everyday life. Meaningful ties with others are likely to bring about positive effects on residents’ sense of belong and construction of home.
The factor filial referred to participants’ evaluation of children’s filial piety, either in the
form of economic, instrumental, or emotional support. Filial piety was taken into consideration in this study because intergenerational relationships are particularly valued in Chinese society. Many aging parents in China relied on their grown children for various kinds of supports.
There were three factors selected from the personal aspect of home, namely hobby,
optimism, and freedom. Hobby concerned whether elderly participants were able to develop or maintain personal hobbies in residential care settings. Optimism referred to participants’ attitude toward institutionalization and aging, such as hope, resilience, or personal inner strength.
Freedom referred to elders’ evaluation of personal autonomy and freedom to go in and out of the facility.
4.5.4.3 Truth Table
Once variables were selected and clearly defined, we assigned binary values to each variable and constructed a truth table (Table 4). The number “1” meant “true” or “presence,” and “0” referred to “false” or “absence.” The truth table was perceived as the “data” for running QCA analysis.
Table 4. Truth Table
Truth Table Home Care Manage Formal
Activities Friends Filial Hobby Optimism Freedom Cases
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4.6 Findings
Through analyzing the data with fsQCA, a complex configuration of conditions toward the
feeling of home was generated (Table 5). To simplify the findings, ten combinations of
conditions were further combined and minimized into four pathways. Pathways were illustrated in accordance to traditional QCA notation aforementioned. “*” was used to indicate logical and, and “+” to indicated logical or. Capital letters denoted the presence of a given attribute and lowercase letters indicated its absence (Dixon et al., 2004). These configurations presented distinct combinations of conditions that contributed to Chinese elders’ development of a sense of home in relation to the elder care facility in which they lived.
Table 5. Configuration of conditions
Complex Combinations Row Coverage Unique Coverage CARE*MANAGEMENT*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FRIENDSHIP*FILIAL*OPTIMISM CARE*MANAGEMENT*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FRIENDSHIP*FILIAL*HOBBY*FREEDOM CARE*MANAGEMENT*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FRIENDSHIP*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*FREEDOM CARE*MANAGEMENT*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FILIAL*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*FREEDOM CARE*MANAGEMENT*FRIENDSHIP*FILIAL*hobby*OPTIMISM CARE*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FRIENDSHIP*FILIAL*hobby*OPTIMISM CARE*management*formal_activities*friendship*FILIAL*HOBBY*optimism*FREEDOM .40 .16 .28 .04 .24 .08 .24 .08 .44 .04 .28 .04 .04 .04
CARE*management*formal_activities*friendship*filial*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*FREEDOM care*management*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*friendship*filial*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*FREEDOM care*management*FORMAL_ACTIVITIES*FRIENDSHIP*FILIAL*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*freedom .04 .04 .04 .04 .04 .04 Simplified Approach
Pathway I: CARE * MANAGEMENT * FORMAL_ACTIVITIES * (FRIENDSHIP * FILIAL * OPTIMISM + FRIENDSHIP * FILIAL *
HOBBY * FREEDOM + FRIENDSHIP * HOBBY * OPTIMISM * FREEDOM + FILIAL*HOBBY*OPTIMISM*FREEDOM)
Pathway II: CARE * FRIENDSHIP * FILIAL * OPTIMISM * (MANAGEMENT + FORMAL_ACTIVITIES) * hobby
Pathway III: CARE * HOBBY * FREEDOM * (FILIAL * optimism + filial * OPTIMISM) * management * formal_activities * friendship
Pathway IV: FORMAL_ACTIVITIES * HOBBY* OPTIMISM* (FREEDOM * friendship*filial + FRIENDSHIP+FILIAL * freedom) *
management * care