Mapping and Interpretation

The last step involved in Framework Analysis, Mapping and Interpretation, is probably the most difficult stage of the analysis process, both in terms of explaining and executing. This depends on the type of study as well as the focus of the research. Nonetheless, due to the complexities of the subject under study, the background of the current research, and an uneven and inconsistent response to questions of concern, explanatory accounts within the framework analysis would be the most suitable response to the interpretation of the analysis.

Explanatory accounts in Framework analysis include the detection of patterns, associative analyses and the identification of clustering (Ritchie and Lewis 2003:248).

Instead of looking at the more descriptive accounts and specific typologies, from which the exact words or phrases of the respondents are analysed, a self-developed explanatory account will form the basis of the mapping and interpretation stage of this analysis.

In order to do so, the researcher could apply explicit or implicit explanations, arising from the stated views and needs of the participants, and/or developed as a result of the various themes and findings from the data set as a whole. This was further emphasised by Ritchie and Lewis (2003:253): “For explicit accounts, the evidence appears overtly in the reasoning within the participants‟ responses… For implicit accounts… the researcher may draw on patterns within the data, for example… the inter-weaving or juxtaposition of apparently unconnected

themes… ” Alternatively, the researcher could “deliberately put together different pieces of evidence, in order to develop or construct an explanation” (Ritchie and Lewis 2003:253).

As a result, both explicit and implicit reasoning will be used here, primarily due to the idea of connecting the findings from the current research study to a theoretical framework and findings from other empirical studies. The main findings from the questionnaires will be organised into suitable categories, which will be developed as a result of the explicit and implicit reasoning, in accordance with the subject charts above. Therefore, the researcher will not follow any particular method in the interpretation process, but will rather discuss the major categories described above in terms of the major theoretical and empirical findings.

Ritchie and Lewis (2003:252) further stated that: “There are a number of ways in which the researcher can build an explanation, depending in part on the nature of the study, the emergent patterns within the data, and the researcher‟s own theoretical and epistemological

perspective”.However, “explanations developed in this way must be carefully checked to

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ensure that they reflect the uniqueness and diversity of the data, and do not „bully‟ the findings to fit [any] preconceived ideas‟ (Ritchie and Lewis 2003:257).

Nonetheless, by doing so, the researcher will get an idea of what the police are doing, and exactly how effective or successful they are in their response. The study conducted by Taylor-Browne will function as the main point of reference here. The particular study was conducted in Britain on the general police response to cases of DV. The findings included a list of certain challenges involved, in order for the police to be fully effective in their line of work.

This included, amongst others, elements such as: differing definitions of domestic violence, training and an uneven service delivery to victims.

These, alongside other elements included in the study, will form the basis of this particular discussion, whereby the findings will function as the subtopics of each paragraph discussed throughout the first part of the interpretation (including both the descriptive and the evaluative stages). Moreover, a higher theoretical framework (such as Burton‟s theory of frustrated human needs) in addition to other empirical studies (on the use of specialised mediation programmes) will be evaluated. The responses by the practitioners and experts in the field of conflict management and DV will also be reviewed here, in order to come up with new ideas or strategies for the police in their future cases of DV.

The table below illustrates the categorisation process involved in the mapping stage of this current research. In this particular case, perceptions are drawn from the questionnaires:

Table 11 child by a spouse or sibling by means of physical abuse, mental abuse or verbal abuse. This includes sexual abuse.

an abuse by either spouse or sibling which may be physical, verbal or metal abuse relationship with another person and has been subjected to physical, sexual,

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The same process was implemented throughout the entire research study in terms of the way in which the different categories of perception and response were developed. The following table illustrates how the general categories above were developed further into a few

hierarchical categories of perception and response:

Table 12

CATEGORIES RESPONSES

ABUSE OF ONE PARTY INFLICTED ON ANOTHER IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

1/28 VARIOUS FORMS OF ABUSE OF ONE PARTY INFLICTED ON ANOTHER

IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

4/28 ABUSE OF ONE PARTY INFLICTED ON ANOTHER IN A DOMESTIC

RELATIONSHIP

2/28 VARIOUS KINDS OF ABUSE OF ONE PARTY INFLICTED ON ANOTHER

IN A DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIP

14/28

OTHER: SOCIAL EVIL/ ABUSE/RELATIONSHIP OF FM/PARTNERS 4/28

N/A 3/28

The categories presented above serve as the platform and means of reference in the following chapter – when further discussing and interpreting the responses from the questionnaires.

These particular findings from the descriptive part of this research – the questionnaire

responses – will then be evaluated in terms of both the responses from the interviewed police officers, some of the interviewed practitioners and experts in the field of DV, in addition to other empirical research. The study conducted by Taylor-Browne in Britain as discussed earlier will be the main source of reference in this regard, particularly with regard to the first part of the following chapter. Moreover, the exploratory part of this study will be discussed in an individual chapter, specifically in terms ofBurton‟s theory on basic human needs, in addition to the established conflict management techniques of peace-making, peacekeeping, peace-building and mediation. These will be discussed in terms of the findings from the research, which could lead to a possible new approach to DV.

Nonetheless, for the purpose of this study, only the responses from the questionnaires will be discussed in terms of developed categories; whereas the responses from the semi-structured interviews will be presented, according to the original raw data from the transcripts.

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5.7 Conclusion

Through the use of the various steps involved in Framework analysis, the data collected during the research process of this particular study have been organised, sorted, indexed and charted, in order to enable the researcher to work systematically, and to ensure that important pieces of data are not lost. Moreover, the verbatim text from the original transcripts of the data have been maintained throughout the data-management process by the implementation of individual reference numbers and the continuous reference to the exact page number of quotes from the transcripts. By doing so, the researcher was enabled to go back to the verbatim text, without necessarily having to go back to the long transcripts of data, but to work with the most important elements throughout.

It further enabled the observer to go back to the original transcripts, in order to fully

understand the analytical and interpretive choices of the researcher. Moreover, categories of responses were developed, so that the further analysis and interpretation would be more manageable, especially in terms of a comparison between the responses and the legal framework and/or other empirical research conducted in the field.

These categories will be further discussed in the following chapters when interpreting and re-contextualising the data further.

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CHAPTER 6: DESCRIBING AND EVALUATING THE