Qualitative Research Methods

Qualitative research is primarily concerned with practice and process rather than outcomes. To be more specific, the focus is on participants' perceptions and their lived experiences and the way they make sense of the world around them (Crossman 2016).

According to Page (2006, p.18), ‘qualitative research helps explain public opinions and indeed anticipate how opinions may change over time’. Such characteristics make the selection of this research design appropriate for this research study. This study concerns itself with how the imagery of PWID generated by the SO impact on public attitudes and opinions and how these opinions may have been affected by a decade of legislative and social change. Valecillos and Davy (2011, p.349), have identified various types of the most commonly used methods in qualitative research, ‘including in-depth interviews, focus groups and observation’.

This research project conducted focus groups in order to examine the topic under investigation as they are most useful in obtaining rich personal and group data, to include participants’ attitudes, perceptions and feelings on the topic under investigation. The findings from the focus groups were transcribed and coded in order to identify common themes arising across the data collected.

Those themes, once identified were discussed with a number of ‘topic experts’ (policy makers, educators, disability advocates, sports coaches, disability researchers and health care professionals) to shed further light and a deeper understanding of the overall findings arising from the focus groups.

114 5.4.2 Focus Groups

The purpose of a focus group is to collect information related to the area under investigation. Thus, a focus group is a special type of group in terms of size, composition and procedures. According to Krueger and Casey (2000, p.5), conducting a focus group is a way in which ‘to listen and gather information and a way to better understand how people feel or think about an issue’. The main purpose of focus group research is to draw upon respondents’ attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences and reactions in a way in which would not be feasible using other methods. Utilising focus groups in qualitative research has many advantages. One of the most important is that they allow for attitudes and opinions to be examined in great depth and with more flexibility compared with quantitative methods and surveys (Page 2006).

In order to ensure that all regions of the island of Ireland were represented in this research project, focus groups were conducted across its four provinces. This was an important factor to consider as the SO (Ireland) website states that it a nationwide organisation, supporting clubs throughout the island of Ireland. Overall 14 focus groups were facilitated for this project. Bryman (2008, p4.77) claimed that ‘there are strong arguments for saying that too many groups could be a waste of time’. This point is further supported by Calder (1997) where he suggested that once the researcher arrives at a point where he can predict what the next group is going to say he has arrived at the point of saturation and little if any new knowledge on the topic will be forthcoming.

The 14 focus groups were representative the four provinces of Ireland and the author was satisfied that adequate information was obtained to address the research topic. A proportionate representation of the overall population was used in this study as participants were randomly drawn from a number of sources and venues around the country. Focus groups consisted of post leaving-certificate students, college students (studying social care or sports science), members of sports/social clubs, adult learners and groups arranged through associates and work colleagues.

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According to Ellis (2000), groups can be brought together where they all share common characteristics or experiences which means they can usefully debate and discuss the research topic. As the research topic under investigation was of significant relevance to the disciplines of the social sciences and sport many of these participants were well placed to provide rich data on the topic under investigation.

The number of participants for each group also required careful consideration. According to Warner (2013, p.156), ‘effective focus groups tend to range between six and eight participants’. Criteria for participant selection were also carefully considered. It was important to ensure there was a balance between ‘diversity and similarity’. Finch and Lewis (2007, p.190) stated that ‘as a general rule, some diversity in the composition of the groups aids discussion, but too much can inhibit it’. With that in mind, each focus group consisted of between six and ten participants and were facilitated in both rural and urban locations so as to ensure that there was a balance of opinion and discussion at national level. For example, in Leinster focus groups were facilitated in major urban areas such as Dublin and more rural locations in Co. Wicklow and Co. Wexford. In Ulster, groups came from Derry City and Monaghan. In Connaught groups were selected from Galway City and Athenry. Finally in Munster, groups were selected from Cork City, Limerick and Co. Tipperary.

The age demographics of participants also required careful consideration in order to ensure that the findings could be compared across two generations. One of the key aims of the research was to assess in what way the unprecedented level of legislative and social changes experienced in Irish society have impacted on public attitudes towards PWID. In order to achieve this aim, the researcher identified two specific generations to compare and participants were selected from two very particular age demographics 18 to 23 and 38 to 43 years of age. There was a specific rationale for selecting these specific age brackets.

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With the emergence of a social model of disability, along with the enactment of disability rights based legislation commencing in the 2000s, another major event took place in Ireland related to the world of disability. In 2003 the SO was held outside the USA for the first time in Dublin to significant international acclaim. Within two years of this happening the Irish Government passed and enacted the Disability Act 2005, a piece of legislation focused on the rights and individual needs of PWID. Participants between the ages of 18 and 23 were between the ages of four to nine when the SO was first hosted in Ireland. Thus, it was valid to ascertain that these participants have mainly lived through an era that many educators, legislators and organisations such as the SO would deem to be a ‘positive’ era for PWID regarding the promotion of community inclusion and the social model of disability. As they were young children when the SO was hosted in Ireland it was of interest to explore their understanding and lived experiences of inclusion as it relates to PWID; how they view the SO and the position of their athletes in Irish society; and to assess how a decade of legislative and social change in how PWID in Ireland are treated has impacted their attitudes and opinions.

On the other hand, participants between the ages of 38 and 43 years of age would have experienced living in a society where PWID were treated under the medical model of disability. Notwithstanding Irish society had started to undergo a shift from the medical model to the social model of disability from the mid 1990s and by the time the SO was hosted in Ireland in 2003, these participants were between the ages of 25 to 30 years.

Thus, these groups have experienced living in a society that was transitioning from the medical model of disability, where segregation and exclusion of PWID was commonplace to the social model of disability based on promoting rights and supporting inclusion. As with the younger age demographic, this study also aims to evaluate and explore these particular participants’ understanding and lived experiences of inclusion as it relates to PWID; how they view the SO and the position of their athletes in Irish society; and to assess how a decade of legislative and social change in how PWID in Ireland are treated has impacted them.

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People aged 43 and above were excluded from the research study. Bryan (2010, p.107) claimed that a ‘lack of contact with persons who appear to be different is often a major reason for the development and perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudices as well as other misrepresentations’. Similarly, Weber (2007, p.6) stated that a lack of regular contact with people with disabilities ‘promotes and constantly reinforces stereotypes’. It is reasonable therefore to assume that many people over 43 years of age would only have lived through the medical model of disability, would have had limited if any contact with people with intellectual disabilities and thus, may have stereotypical attitudes towards this group.

The discussion in a focus group may be ‘triggered’ by a stimulus which can be of benefit in ensuring there is a clear, explicit and specific focus to the discussion. In this instance, a number of images of athletes at SO events were used in each focus group so as to act as a stimulus. According to Newby (2014, p.343), ‘the benefits of using images from a research strategy perspective is that they provide a common stimulus’. The next section provides a detailed account of how these images were selected.