4.6. Research Methods
4.6.1. Data collection method(s)
This is a qualitative study which according to Bogdan and Biklen (2010: 197) relies mainly on four methods of data collection: the analysis of policy documents which involves engaging policy documents; participant observation – as data collection, this method “demands first hand involvement in the social world chosen for study” this affords the researcher an opportunity “to hear, to see and begin to experience reality as participants do” (De Walt and De Walt, 2001: 77).
Another crucial data collection tool identified by Bogdan and Biklen (2010: 197) is in-depth interview technique. Simply defined, in-depth interview is “a conversation with purpose” (Kahn and Cannel, 1957: 149).
Of the data collection methods accounted for above, two were employed for purposes of data collection. These are: the analysis of policy documents and in-depth interviews. The former data collection technique will be used to analyse important documents such as the UKZN Transformation Charter which is a policy framework by which all policies must comply; SRC policy documents, particularly the ones that speak about gender transformation will also be analysed. Furthermore, because the SRC as a governance body is led by certain student political organizations, the assumption is that these organizations influence the policies of the SRC and such influence is underpinned by political ideologies of these movements. Therefore, gender policies of those organizations will also be analysed. Twenty two SRC members selected based
63 on the characteristics outlined above, were interviewed. This interviewing was in-depth in nature so that the researcher could elicit rich and substantial information. This type of interviewing afforded the researcher a room to probe the interviewees when the necessity arose.
4.6.1.1 Data collection method(s) and process
This is a qualitative study that relied on empirical evidence for the validation of the pre-disposed assumptions. Below is the account of the data collection techniques that were utilized for purposes of data collection and the process thereof:
i. Analysis of policy documents: In the analysis of policy documents, a number of policy documents were selected based on their perceive relevance to the study under investigation.
Such policy documents include: the Education and Higher Education White papers of 1997;
the UKZN Transformation Charter and SRC Constitution. These were accessed through internet search. As per the data collection plan, the researcher intended to also include the engagement of the SRC gender policy. An attempt was made to search for it online. After doing so for a number of times without succeeding, the researcher approached the university’s Student Governance Office. It was revealed by the employee of this office that SRC does not have any policy that speaks to the question of gender transformation. Thirdly, it was mentioned in the research proposal for this study that the researcher also intended to gather the gender policies of the vanguard student political movements, particularly the ones that lead the SRC. Such documents were accessed through extensive internet search.
ii. In-depth interview schedule: The in-depth interview schedule was developed. To this end, two different sets of interview questionnaires were developed: one was targeting female SRC members while the other was targeting male SRC members.
The researcher conducted the interview on individual bases. These interviews as it was planned were to take the maximum of thirty minutes. However, some interviewees spoke for longer than expected while others spoke for a short period. There were however a few who kept to the time.
Therefore, each interview took approximately thirty three minutes on average.
4.6.1.2 Participant access strategy
The researcher started by going to the UKZN SRC Administrator to make a request for the list of the current SRC members. This list had the details (names, contact details, campus and the
64 portfolio that each SRC member is occupying) as well as the photographs of this population. The participants from the SRC of Howard College campus were easily accessible because the researcher is a student in this campus. What also made matters easy was that the SRC has unarticulated open door policy which means that anyone is welcome to just budge into their offices as long as such budging is not accompanied by destructive forces. The researcher just went into their offices and upon issuing the details of the research, made a request for their participation. For other participants who were not based in Howard College campus at the time the interviewing ensued, e-mails were sent to make the same request. This e-mail explained what the study is about and made a plea for their participation. The informed consent document was also attached for them to get more clarity on the contents of the study. Some responded and others did not. Those that responded to the request and did so positively were immediately pursued. To get the attention of other potential participants the researcher used networking as the strategy. What this means is that the researcher ask for help from those he knows who are in politics. This had a very positive outcome as the majority of the participants were accessed in this way.
In interviewing these participants, the researcher made it a point that it is at their utmost convenience. It is for this reason therefore that the researcher visited the participants wherever they were.
4.6.1.3 Dates and setting of interview sessions
The UKZN SRC elections took place on the 24 and 25 of November 2012 and after that the electoral commission took too long to publish the outcomes of the elections. This frustrated the researcher’s plan of conduction interviews within a certain time frame. The researcher planned to start doing the interview sessions at the beginning of December. However, this did not happen because at that time, there was uncertainty on what the over the elections’ results. It was after December hit the half way mark that such uncertainties were removed from the target participants and for the researcher, this meant things were starting to fall into place. As such, the researcher began sending invitations to potential participants. Actual data collection therefore began at the beginning of 2013.
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