CHAPTER 7 NARRATIVE DATA: METHOD, ANALYSIS AND OVERVIEW

RESEARCH TOOL: IPA INTERVIEW

When evaluating the choice of IPA, I was guided by Hefferon and Rodriguez (2011) who offer a very useful practical review of this method. They identify examples of good practice and particular pitfalls that students encounter. The was particularly useful in evaluating the pilot interviews. Their examples of good practice led to the work of Chapman et al., (2007) who use this methodology in the area of patients’ relationships with ventricular assist devices. This was a good example of this method being

appropriate for investigating sensitive issues. The work I most closely identify with is Hutchinson’s 2012 account of the impact of witnessing bullying on American school children. This is an example of IPA used in an area very closely related to my work which shares the same element of inviting people to speak about a difficult topic. Both of these papers are short papers where the data and findings are summarized very succinctly. As an illustration of IPA at the doctoral level, Blore’s 2011 doctoral thesis usefully illustrates the significant place of extended quotations from participants and a fuller analysis than the preceding papers. All these studies have a psychological setting. I have not encountered the use of IPA in either a theological or work place bullying context.

INTERVIEWS

I offered a face-to-face interview in the location of their choice in order to provide an environment for people to offer sensitive material in a way that was comfortable and safe for them. A concern was to achieve a sample size that would lead to credible conclusions. Consideration had been given to the use of focus groups. However, these have practical disadvantages due to the difficulty of bringing busy people from a large geographical area together. There are also disadvantages regarding the uncertainty of whether participants, who are colleagues, would find themselves able to speak freely in a group and whether participants could be guaranteed to be appropriately sensitive to each other. By not using focus groups the potential for participants to spark off each other in a creative way was lost. However, I felt the potential for creative gain was outweighed by the disadvantages.

The response rate was such that it was feasible to interview all those who expressed an interest in the work. Of these one person moved to another diocese and outside of the support structure intended for participants so they were not offered an interview.

114 Another changed their mind on being offered an interview which was reassuring as it indicated their feeling that it was acceptable to drop out.

ETHICAL ISSUES

In addition to the previous discussion of ethics, the interviews brought two further dimensions into consideration. First, the need to aim for enough interviews to generate useful material. The potential for useful information needed to balance the risk of some emotional discomfort. Secondly, the need for the ethics committee to be confident that the questions were suitable. These were resolved with agreement to aim for eight interviews and some shifting in the questions, as demonstrated in the table below. TABLE (XVI) SHIFTS IN SURVEY QUESTIONS

Research proposal questions

Pilot questions after ethics approval.

Suggested questions after pilot and reflection. 1. What do you think

of as bullying in a workplace? 2. Are you aware of

any anti-bullying policy or procedures operating in the diocese? 3. In the course of your ministry have there been incidents directed at ministers which brought bullying to mind?

1. What were your immediate thoughts and feelings when reading the feedback from the survey?

2. Are there aspects of your experience that the

behaviours described did not capture? If the answer is yes, then: What would you like to add to the picture?

1. I’d like to start by taking you back to the time when you received the original survey…. (the questions are here on the cards) …. can you tell me about any immediate thoughts and feelings that came to mind…?

2a. As you look at these behaviours, how do they match up with your ideas of what negative acts might be?

2b. And what are you drawing on here to come to that answer…. can you say a little more about that?

115 4. How do you make

sense of this as a Christian minister?

3. How do you make sense of this as a Christian

minister?

4. How would you like to see the diocese respond?

2c. These questions relate to behaviours that could happen anywhere, if this blank card is for negative acts that particularly happen in the church context what should I add here to give a fuller picture….

3. Now coming to the report…I have made a link between experiencing these behaviours and being bullied, how does that seem to you?

And once more can I ask are there any immediate thoughts or feelings.

4. How do you make sense of this as a Christian minister?

5. Would you like to see a response from the diocese in this area? What would you like that to be…. what leads you to prefer things as they are?

116 KEY ELEMENTS OF THE METHOD

 Interview schedule generated  Pilot interviewees approached  Two Pilot interviews conducted  Evaluation of Pilot interviews  Modification of interview schedule

 Six interviews conducted recorded digitally by two recording devices (Iphone, IPad)

 Transcription of recordings into word documents.

ANALYSIS

The eight interviewees who have contributed to this work can be seen as windows each offering a perspective of how bullying has touched their lives. Examination of these interviews from an empathic standpoint provides the naming and interpretation of past wrongs, the elucidation of thinking and a sense of what might give rise to a more hopeful future. The empathic phase is then followed by a more analytical stance bringing the transcripts alongside models of bullying and theological reflection. When reading these summaries, it may be contextually helpful to remember that candidates 1,3 and 4 showed a desire to engage very promptly as a result of receiving the negative acts questionnaire. Interviewee 5, had a time of personal struggle and then chose to engage. Interviewees 2 and 6 found that it connected at the level which was nominally within their professional interest and were willing to be interviewed as a result of that. The pilot interviewees had not expressed any interest in being part of the work but I had sufficient professional, personal and academic connection to believe they could be asked to participate at the pilot stage without the risk of trauma.

For orientation purposes the table below indicates significant themes identified from the transcripts.

117