METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

In narrative inquiry, openness and trust should be present between the researcher and the participant (Marshall & Rossman, 2006). Part of narrative inquiry entails being an active listener and giving the participants a “full voice” (Marshall & Rossman, 2006, p. 118). I therefore included narrative essays and focus group interviews in this study, which will be discussed in the following sub-sections.

42 3.5.1 Documents

Personal narratives were gathered in the form of essays and stories about adolescent binge drinking behaviour. The adolescents were asked to write about any story they had heard about binge drinking behaviour. These documents served as valuable data for the study. Gathering these stories and documents enabled me to learn about the multifaceted nature and shape of the adolescents’ individual experiences and how they interact in their social worlds (Gubrium & Holstein, 2012). These documents also contained stories about how experiences are influenced by culture and social norms.

3.5.2 Focus groups

Focus group interviews were used to generate data in the second phase of the data gathering process. Focus groups can be viewed as a strategy to obtain data from individuals about how they form perspectives and schemas (Mertens, 2005). According to Mertens (2005), conducting a focus group provides the platform for individuals to share and exhibits understanding of other’s agreements or disagreements within the specific topic being explored. Therefore, conducting a focus group to obtain different views, perspectives and assumptions would contribute to the rich data required for this particular study. Using focus groups gave individuals a safe platform where they can share their opinions, perspectives and values about the topic of binge drinking behaviour.

Focus groups were my second strategy to gather data from the identified sample. Cataldi, (cited in Gatta, et al., 2015) suggests that conducting a focus group is a very adequate way of working with adolescents and gathering information. Using focus groups allowed me to explore topics such as stories about binge drinking behaviour and other topics that are relevant to the participants’ age. Cataldi (cited in Gatta, et al., 2015) further suggests the following about conducting focus groups with adolescents who speak about underage drinking:

using the adolescents’ language, starting with their questions and revealing their priorities. Involving them as a group also has the advantage of encouraging the participations of adolescents who would be more reluctant to take part in individual interviews, as this makes it easier to talk about types of behaviour that might be taboo and topics that interest them although the dominant (adult) culture might consider them deviant. (p. 65)

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It was my responsibility, as a narrative interviewer, to initiate the production of stories and narratives during the focus group interviews (Gubrium & Holstein, 1997). I therefore asked questions in such a way that opened a space for the participant to share a story.

As a qualitative researcher, from a constructivist approach, interviews were an opportunity to gather data from the participants, not only by asking specific questions but also to facilitate a space where language such as stories, typical phrases, metaphors and arguments, could be used as valuable data. I used the focus groups to facilitate discussions and elicit the use of language that best described experiences, assumptions and conflicts about the topic of underage binge drinking. The learners had a choice as to whether they wanted to volunteer to participate in the focus group, as only a small number of learners were asked to volunteer.

King and Horrocks (2010) provided pointers that I used to guide my narrative interviewing within the focus group. Firstly, I had to ensure that the focus of the interview served the purpose of eliciting stories about binge drinking behaviour (King & Horrocks, 2010). Whenever the participants drifted away from the topic, I had to bring them back to the focus of the discussion in a respectful manner. The second pointer refers to providing space and time to make connections that make sense for them (King & Horrocks, 2010). This pointer directed me to provide space and opportunity for the participants to tell stories and conceptualise the meaning they attach to certain stories and phenomena. The third pointer I adhered to was to acknowledge that using language and constructing language in a specific way is important when making narratives (King & Horrocks, 2010). The participants used their own way of expressing themselves and telling stories, through using language as a medium of expression. They used their own formed words and colloquial language to express feelings and construct meanings. The two focus groups enabled me to gather more related data and to identify and address the gaps in the data collected through the essays. In the first focus group, there were eleven females and the second focus group comprised ten males. Confidentiality, anonymity and mutual respect were important values in the focus group. I responded empathetically to provide a safe space for the participants to explore and discuss the meanings they attach to stories about binge drinking behaviour through guiding questions derived from the data gathered in the essays. I encouraged those in the group who were less verbal and gave opportunities to the participants to clarify any misconceptions if there were any.

44 3.5.3 Recording the data

Data recording took place through recording the interviews in the focus groups. The participants gave their consent for the discussion being recorded. Recording the interview enabled the researcher to keep a record of what was said without interrupting the conversations (Terre Blanche, et al., 2014). Using an audio recorder in my focus groups enabled me to pay attention and respond in an attentive way to what was being said, rather than taking notes. The interviews were voice recorded and transcribed verbatim. The interviews from the focus group, as well as the essays, are stored in a safe space in the researcher’s home. Only I, as the researcher and Prof Carolissen, my thesis supervisor, had access to the raw data gathered during the research process.

Transcribing the data is not only a technical assignment (Marshall & Rossman, 2006). It entails interpretation and judgement (Marshall & Rossman, 2006). When I transcribed the two interviews, I had to ensure that the meaning was correctly extracted in the transcribed account, in the words of the participants.