A gas up in Sasol: qualitative research in a team

For the first time this week I was part of a team of qualitative researchers.

Okay, let me explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative research.

Quantitative research is surveys, statistics, census and other such research that promotes over-arching solutions to problems, sometimes a "one shoe fits all" approach.

Qualitative research is also often referred to as participant observation. Qualitative researchers spend a long time in their field, getting to know the people whom they are working with. Such research may use surveys or statistics as a spring board to delve deeply into issues.

I am trained in qualitative research and I do feel this type of research yields better results inasmuch as we are able to understand issues from the various perspectives of people affected, as opposed to presuming that one solution will fit all people.

However, that said, both types have their place in improving the social structure of the world and I am very excited to be working with the Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise, giving me the opportunity to learn more about quantitative work.

Our first project that we were rather quickly thrown into was, and still is, a project with Sasol. Sasol has employed the centre to conduct a rather rushed mixed methods assessment of various Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) in the Sasolburg and Secunda area. Their rationale is that they wish to uncover SME's that may be unnoticed but that are florishing and supporting the economy of these town.

So as a team of twelve researchers we set out on our first leg of the project - semi-structured interviews.

An initial scout had found the various entrepreneurs and asked them to meet us at designated meeting halls. We spent up to two hours per person, learning about the various businesses.

Because we had such a short time to spend with each person, developing rapport with our informants quickly was vital to the success of the day. I had two interviews in Sasolburg and two interviews in Secunda. I was lucky with three out of my four interviews, in that developing such rapport came easily.

The most difficult part of qualitative research in balancing the power between researcher and informant. In many societies age deems a person to be higher up the hierarchy scale than say a 25 year old with little life experience. I have been brought up to believe that respect demands respect, however, I am also aware that some people who are older than me will expect a certain amount of due respect shown towards them. As such, time must be spent inquiring about their day and the health of their family.

My first informant was an elderly women, a teacher, in Early Childhood Development and when she saw my interest in her organisation, she opened up and gave me wonderful stories. The theorist Gertz might have called this 'thick description' - lots and lots of information, including my observations using my senses, of temperature, sounds, body language and movements etcetera.

My second informant was an elderly man, and similarly, he enjoyed being given the space, and my nodding silences, to tell me about the evolution of his business.

My third informant was a young woman, close to my age, and with such ease, without having to even think about it, we began chatting, slipped easily into the meat of the interview and only half way through did I mentally step back and realise that I did not have to make a concerted effort to get to know my informant.

My fourth informant was the most difficult to crack. We also had a bit of a language barrier. Even though I had checked with her to make sure she was comfortable with English and she had said yes, "but I am not professional", I could sense that she was sometimes not able to fully express her answers. Thus, near the end we became a bit bored with each others company. There was little conversation outside of the semi-structured interview questions, and I could tell she was, throughout the whole interview, a little shy and a little bored.

In my last large research project (my 2010 thesis) I was lucky that I did not have to sit down to such semi-formal discussions with my informants. The type of people they were (break dancers) and the type of situation in which we found ourselves (language of the body,  the same place over an eight month period), meant that I was able to conduct such questions in a very informal and relaxed situation. The Sasol project brought to glaring reality the constant negotiation of power and the give and take of personal information that qualitative researchers face in their work.

One last tip - when using such semi-structured interviewing techniques, remember to keep an element of conversation in the session; show that as much as you are asking them to give to you, you are willing to return the favour and let little snippets of yourself join in their stories to you. Conversation relaxes a person; quick fire questioning does not.

Everything ends

It's true you know. The only certainly in life is change, and with change comes the ending of phases in your life. And the beginning of new and wonderful opportunities.

This weekend marks major ends in my life. None of them sole and complete, never to surface again. But there is still sadness.

You know, no matter how much you want that promotion, that new job, that bigger house in the better part of town or what what, there is always an element of sadness at what you are leaving behind, no matter how small that element is... or how big...

And so no matter that I needed more challenge and mental stimulation from my current job, the people and the place was very good to me and they will be sorely missed.

No matter how excited I am about moving to Joburg, to be closer to my 'mini gang' of friends in Joburg, I am leaving behind some super incredibly important people in Pretoria. The most significant group of people in one space that I am saying goodbye to is my capoeira crew, Capoeira Meia Lua (Half Moon). One of our instructors and my dear friend is moving to Cape Town, and my other instructor, and dear friend, feels he cannot carry on on his own - plus he wants to focus more on his spiritual life. I completely understand him. The other kids are all getting super busy, I am moving to Joburg, and well there is just not enough of us together to continue the group.

And so with hugely heavy hearts and sadness, we had out last class on Thursday. And then it hit me on Friday. It is going to be a long time before we are all together again. And this was a group of wonderful people whom I saw twice a week for two and a half hours each time. They were like my anti-depressants. Closer that friends. Capoeira is my religion, they are my support structures within my religion.

There is a saying that there is nothing that a good roda of capoeira cannot fix. However, I want to add that while this may be so, there is nothing that thirty minutes with the kids at Meia Lua cannot fix. Even if there is no capoeira involved.

So while this month is a month of re-birth, it is bitter sweet, for an much as I gain, I am saying many goodbyes, even though they are not final. Even though none of us are dying and we are all still in the same province (except one) and maybe a 30 minute drive from each other, this weekend is a time of celebration and sadness.

And so, I suppose this is a letter to say thank you to Chris and Kyla - teachers are more important in life than they are given credit for. They mentor, guide, encourage their students to grow. And honestly, the world would never have got to where we are, in religion, spirituality, ballet, dance, sports, capoeira, without the guidance of teachers.

Imho, Luntu, Charlise and Jocshi, Gabe, Annamart (aka Annamom) Carin, Ac, Wehan and Kylene, my capoeira family of amazingness, good training, sweating and partying together!

To Debbie, Salim, Aletta, Levercia, Bobby and Nqobile, my work family, relationship counselors and clowns of amazingness.

To Pretoria, I never thought I would miss you but I might, just a little bit. You have been good to me this year.

To my people here is Pretoria who have been here since forever and whom are too numerous to mention (ballet, Botswana, horse riding, school, etc etc etc).

It's a big goodbye, albeit temporary.

And so I wish you all, all of you wonderful lights in my life, até que nós ver outra vez:

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."