10 - Lessons from an ethnographic encounter with young women in a South African Township
African Sociological Review,
Vol. 25 No. 1 (2021): African Sociological Review
Abstract
This paper discusses lessons from the researcher’s experiences of her ethnographic approach that employed a sociological study on the lived experiences of young women in Ngangelizwe Township, Mthatha to uncover the various ways in which the young women negotiated their lifestyles. The ethnographic research approach is underpinned by the desire to gain an in-depth understanding of the participants lived experiences. Such understanding is intended to go beyond the participant’s explicit identifications of their realities, unearthing the hidden meanings shaping the production of their social action. However, gaining access into the lives of participants is not a straightforward process and should be recognised in its difference from gaining access into the area of study. Gaining access into the social lives of participants and engaging in ethnographic observations is a complex process in which the researcher participates in multiple overlapping roles that are shaped by unforeseen on-field occurrences. This paper sheds light on some of the field occurrences in how they informed the data collection process through which the objective of examining the realities of young women in Ngangelizwe Township was achieved.
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- Bucerius, S.M. (2013). Becoming a “trusted outsider”: Gender, ethnicity and inequality in ethnographic research. Contemporary Ethnography,42(6): 690-721.
- Chughtai, H., and Myers, M.D. (2016). Entering the field in qualitative field research: A rite of passage into complex practice world. Information Systems Journal, 27(6): 1-42.
- Creswell, J.W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE.
- Dunlap, E., and Johnson, B. (1998). Gaining access to hidden populations: Strategies for gaining cooperation of drug sellers/dealers and their families in ethnographic research. Drug Soc (New York), 14(1-2): 127-149.
- Eastern Cape Economic Review and Outlook, 2017 England, K.V.L. (1994). Getting personal: Reflexivity, positivity and feminist research.
- The Professional Geographer, 46(1): 241-256.
- Etikan, I., Musa, S.A., and Alkassim, R.S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1): 1-4.
- Fine, G. and Hallett, T. (2014). Stranger and stranger: creating theory through ethnographic distance and authority. Journal of Organisational Ethnography, 3(2): 188-203.
- Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., and Davidson, L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36: 717-732.
- Gentles, S.J. (2015). Sampling in qualitative research: Insights from an overview of the methods literature. Qualitative Report, 20(11): 1772-1789.
- Genzuk, M. (2003). A synthesis of ethnographic research. Occasional Papers Series.
- Center for Multilingual, Multicultural Research. University of Southern California: Los Angeles.
- Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E. and Chadwick, B. (2008). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups. British Dental Journal, 204(6): 291-295.
- Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and Time translated by Macquarrie, J. and Robinson, E.
- Blackwell Publishers. Oxford, UK.
- Henry, R. (2012). Gifts of grief: performative ethnography and the revelatory potential of emotion. Qualitative Research, 12 (15): 528-539.
- Hoepfl, M.C. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology Education, 9(1): 47-63.
- Jones, J., and Smith, J. (2017). Ethnography: challenges and opportunities. EvidenceBased Nursing, 20(4): 98-100.
- McNamara, P. (2009). Feminist ethnography: Storytelling that makes a difference. Qualitative
- Social Work, 8(2): 161-177.
- Mulhall, A. (2008). In the field: Notes on observation in qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(3): 306-313.
- Naidoo, K. (2015). Family biography, fertility and memory-making in an AIDS-affected South African site. The History of the Family, 20(1): 106-121.
- Neuman, W.L. (2014). Basics of social research. Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
- (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Limited O.R Tambo District Municipality Socio Economic Review and Outlook, 2017.
- (2017). Accessed from https://www.ecsecc.org/documentrepository/informationcentre/o-r-tambo-districtmunicipality_34313.pdf
- Polkinghorne, D.E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research.
- Journal of Counselling Psychology, 52(2): 137-145.
- Reeves, S., Peller, J., and Goldman, J. (2013). Ethnography in qualitative educational research:
- AMEE Guide No. 80. Medical Teacher, 35(8): 1365-1379.
- Sandelowski, M. (2000). Focus on research methods. Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing and Health, 23: 334-340.
- SAPS. (n.d). Crime situation in RSA twelve months 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. https://www.saps.gov.za/services/long_version_presentation_april_to_ march_2017_2018.pdf
- The Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Review and Outlook. (2017).
- Accessed from www. ecdc.co.za.>dedeat-sero-report-2017_digital-version (1).pdf
References
Bucerius, S.M. (2013). Becoming a “trusted outsider”: Gender, ethnicity and inequality in ethnographic research. Contemporary Ethnography,42(6): 690-721.
Chughtai, H., and Myers, M.D. (2016). Entering the field in qualitative field research: A rite of passage into complex practice world. Information Systems Journal, 27(6): 1-42.
Creswell, J.W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE.
Dunlap, E., and Johnson, B. (1998). Gaining access to hidden populations: Strategies for gaining cooperation of drug sellers/dealers and their families in ethnographic research. Drug Soc (New York), 14(1-2): 127-149.
Eastern Cape Economic Review and Outlook, 2017 England, K.V.L. (1994). Getting personal: Reflexivity, positivity and feminist research.
The Professional Geographer, 46(1): 241-256.
Etikan, I., Musa, S.A., and Alkassim, R.S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1): 1-4.
Fine, G. and Hallett, T. (2014). Stranger and stranger: creating theory through ethnographic distance and authority. Journal of Organisational Ethnography, 3(2): 188-203.
Fossey, E., Harvey, C., McDermott, F., and Davidson, L. (2002). Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36: 717-732.
Gentles, S.J. (2015). Sampling in qualitative research: Insights from an overview of the methods literature. Qualitative Report, 20(11): 1772-1789.
Genzuk, M. (2003). A synthesis of ethnographic research. Occasional Papers Series.
Center for Multilingual, Multicultural Research. University of Southern California: Los Angeles.
Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E. and Chadwick, B. (2008). Methods of data collection in qualitative research: Interviews and focus groups. British Dental Journal, 204(6): 291-295.
Heidegger, M. (1962). Being and Time translated by Macquarrie, J. and Robinson, E.
Blackwell Publishers. Oxford, UK.
Henry, R. (2012). Gifts of grief: performative ethnography and the revelatory potential of emotion. Qualitative Research, 12 (15): 528-539.
Hoepfl, M.C. (1997). Choosing qualitative research: A primer for technology education researchers. Journal of Technology Education, 9(1): 47-63.
Jones, J., and Smith, J. (2017). Ethnography: challenges and opportunities. EvidenceBased Nursing, 20(4): 98-100.
McNamara, P. (2009). Feminist ethnography: Storytelling that makes a difference. Qualitative
Social Work, 8(2): 161-177.
Mulhall, A. (2008). In the field: Notes on observation in qualitative research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 41(3): 306-313.
Naidoo, K. (2015). Family biography, fertility and memory-making in an AIDS-affected South African site. The History of the Family, 20(1): 106-121.
Neuman, W.L. (2014). Basics of social research. Qualitative and quantitative approaches.
(7th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Limited O.R Tambo District Municipality Socio Economic Review and Outlook, 2017.
(2017). Accessed from https://www.ecsecc.org/documentrepository/informationcentre/o-r-tambo-districtmunicipality_34313.pdf
Polkinghorne, D.E. (2005). Language and meaning: Data collection in qualitative research.
Journal of Counselling Psychology, 52(2): 137-145.
Reeves, S., Peller, J., and Goldman, J. (2013). Ethnography in qualitative educational research:
AMEE Guide No. 80. Medical Teacher, 35(8): 1365-1379.
Sandelowski, M. (2000). Focus on research methods. Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing and Health, 23: 334-340.
SAPS. (n.d). Crime situation in RSA twelve months 01 April 2017 to 31 March 2018. https://www.saps.gov.za/services/long_version_presentation_april_to_ march_2017_2018.pdf
The Eastern Cape Socio-Economic Review and Outlook. (2017).
Accessed from www. ecdc.co.za.>dedeat-sero-report-2017_digital-version (1).pdf