Joseph, Molefe

English

Qualitative research used to be viewed as a confused and unthinkable research approach. This research approach is increasingly gaining recognition in many disciplines including those focused on the development notions of gender and empowerment in developing countries. This paper details how the author has conceptualized, designed and conducted a qualitative case study for the award of a doctoral degree in international development. The study sought to inform development interventions in Botswana with a better understanding of youth livelihoods from the perspective of youth as active social agents. It was focused on understanding the lived experiences and points of view of the research participants through eliciting diverse meanings they attach to their livelihood trajectories. The study was informed by a social constructionist epistemology, which emphasizes on understanding meanings people construct about themselves within their social contexts. In order to understand diverse meanings the participants attach to their livelihood trajectories the study adopted a life-course framework both as a conceptual and an analytical tool. Life-course approach to social research recognizes that people do not live their lives in isolation but they are embedded within dynamic historically situated socio-cultural contexts within which they construct meanings. The study was conceptualized from a qualitative case study research design and it triangulated different methods to collect data from which socially constructed meanings emerged. It mainly focused on personal narratives of young women aged 18-35 years who are engaged in street vending in Gaborone City. It was also conceptualized to position these young women within their real-life contexts of social interrelationships, and as such, it considered perspectives of other significant research participants. A thematic narrative approach was applied in analyzing data and presenting the research findings. Although the study did not give priority to any of the triangulated methods, the author’s main experience of going qualitative is that negotiating access and conducting in-depth life history interviews with people of the opposite sex in one’s own ‘community’ is challenging but enlightening. This paper provides other researchers with insights on how to conceptualize, design and conduct a qualitative study firmly grounded within their philosophical and methodological positions

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Conceptualizing and Designing a Qualitative Study:Insights From a Doctoral Study on Youth Livelihoods in Botswana

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