LIMITATIONS
Appendix 3: Data Collection Schedule Data Collection Schedule
Appendix 3: Data Collection Schedule
Once assent from the child had been obtained, the researcher requested that the children divide themselves into pairs at the drawing area. Thereafter, the researcher allowed for a five minute break (where she busied herself with fetching the drawing materials on the far end of the room to avoid creating a feeling of pressure or obligation for the children) before starting the data collection to allow „everyone to settle in‟ before the drawing activity and those who may not wish to participate to leave freely.
Each child was given a large piece of paper (approximately A3 size) and black markers were placed in the centre of the tabled area. With the children‟s permission the audio voice recorders were also placed in the centre of the tabled area. In the drawing activity, the children were given the instruction to work in their pairs to draw a picture showing “what rich people and where they live might look like”, and “what poor people and where they live might look like”.
After 15 minutes the children were then asked to return to the focus group area, along with their drawings.
In the formal focus groups, the particular questions used to facilitate the children‟s discussions of socioeconomic status and income inequality included the following questions (adapted from Bonn et al., 1999, and Leahy, 1981), with the researcher following the question with non- directive probes:
1. What does it mean to be rich?
2. What does it mean to be poor?
3. Describe rich people. Who are the rich people? What are they like?
4. Describe poor people. Who are the poor people? What are they like?
5. How are rich people different from poor people?
6. How are rich people the same as poor people?
7. How come we have rich and poor people? Why are some people poor while others are rich?
In addition the children were encouraged to use their pictures in the discussions, and each pair was given the opportunity to share some ideas on their drawings near the end of the focus group session. At the end the children were then debriefed about the study, and given the opportunity to share some ideas on how they felt about how the session had played out. The children were also reminded of the importance of confidentiality and sensitivity to what had been discussed in the focus groups. The researcher then pre-empted the subsequent focus group with each age group by asking the children to think of and bring any further ideas about rich and poor to the next focus group, conducted at a later stage.
Data Collection Session Two
At the second data collection session, the study was reintroduced to the children by:
Reminding the children what the study was about (as in Data Collection Session One, see above).
Reminding them of what was discussed in the previous session and introducing what was required in the second session: "You know the last time we met to hear your ideas I made a recording of what you said and I have been listening to that and there are some things I want to ask you more about. I was also wondering if you have thought any more about any of the things we spoke about and if you have any new ideas, or maybe you thought of something after we finished and you wished you had said that. I know you have had a holiday so it might be hard for you to remember exactly what we spoke about, so what I am going to do is to remind you of the questions that I asked and then you can see if there is anything more you want to say about that thing.")
about that thing.")
Reminding them of issues of anonymity and confidentiality, and audio recording (as in Data Collection Session One).
The same questions (adapted from Bonn et al., 1999, and Leahy, 1981) used in the first data collection session were then used to facilitate the children‟s discussions in a focus group format, with the researcher following the question with non-directive probes. However, the research further made use of additional probing into topics which the children had mentioned in the first session based on initial analyses. An outline of area which the researcher wished to probe based on responses from Data Collection Session One are outlined below:
1. What does it mean to be rich?
Younger: Mentioned Cribs and TV shows- Probe TV and newspapers.
Older: “Being rich is past the needing and into the wanting”- explore more, ask the children to elaborate.
2. What does it mean to be poor?
Younger: Mentioned people who live in a shack and in houses made of mud/ huts- probe into whom else may be poor and where poor people come from.
Older: Mentioned street people, not having an education- probe into whom else may be poor and where poor people come from.
3. Describe rich people. Who are the rich people? What are they like?
Younger: NB South African context. Some mentioned the president. Explore in more detail and allow children to discuss this.
Older: Mentioned Oprah, American TV, the Prince of Monacco and Charlene Woodstock, actors and singers. Also, mentioned the president, MECs, Ministers in Government.
Explore in more detail and allow children to discuss this. Who are the rich people?
4. Describe poor people. Who are the poor people? What are they like?
Younger: Mentioned street children with powder on their faces in Pietermaritzburg; street people sleeping in town; people living in huts. Explore in more detail and allow children to discuss this. Who are the poor people?
Older: Mentioned child-headed households (children whose parents have died and looking after their family); people who look after cars, car guards. Explore in more detail and allow children to discuss this.
5. How are rich people different from poor people?
Younger: Mentioned different jobs, like car guards or security men.
Older: Poor people described as „kinder‟ than rich; rich don‟t want to help.
6. How are rich people the same as poor people?
Younger: Mentioned neighbours and people living in flats. Needs more exploration as to how they are different.
Older: “Same education, but didn‟t use same opportunities”.
7. How come we have rich and poor people? Why are some people poor while others are rich?
Younger: Mentioned street kids, and them buying glue instead of food. Explore in more detail and allow children to discuss this.
Older: TV. Broad references to what seems like the Shri Devani case (asking poor people to kill people for rich people). Needs more time for exploration and discussion.
In the second data collection schedule the researcher further encouraged the children to structure their responses by giving them time to work together to jot down their responses on a sheet of news print during discussions of questions one to four. A large sheet of news print was pasted up on a board in the focus group circle, and the children were asked who would like to volunteer as a scribe. The page was divided in half, with the titles „rich‟ and „poor‟, and the scribe was asked to jot down important points in discussing the questions.
At the end the children were debriefed about the study, and given the opportunity to share some ideas on how they felt about how both sessions had played out or any questions they had. The children were also reminded of the importance of confidentiality and sensitivity to what had been discussed in the focus groups, and thanked for their participation in the study.