LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
E. Reflections
How did you find the interview?
Would it have been different if there had been girls present?
Would it have been different if it had been a black male interviewer or white male interviewer?
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Appendix B: Consent form for school principle
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Consent form for School Principal
I ______________________ school principal of __________________________ agree that Robyn-Leigh Smith, a Masters in Community Counselling Psychology student at the University of the Witwatersrand, will conduct a research study at our school to explore multiple voices of masculinity amongst school boys in a private multi-racial school in Gauteng.
As school principal I have read the information sheet and allow this research study to take place at our school. In the study, learners will be given disposable camera, asked to participate in the individual interviews and focus groups. The interviews and focus group will take place after school hours on the school premises.
I am aware that I may withdraw my school from the study at any time and it will not be held against my school or learners in any way. Participation in this research is entirely voluntary and no information that may identify school or learners will be included in the research report.
I hereby consent for my school to participate in this research project.
School‟s name: ___________________________ Date: __________________________
172
Appendix C: Information sheet for parents/guardians
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Information sheet for parents/guardians
Dear Parent/ Guardian
Hello, my name is Robyn-Leigh Smith. I‟m currently completely a Masters in Community- Counselling Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand. One requirement of the Masters course involves the completion of a research project. The research that I am conducting aims to explore the social construction of masculinity amongst boys in a private multi-racial school. By discussing issues of masculinity with adolescent boys I aim to gain an understanding of what it means to be a boy. This is an important research project to understand how adolescent boys in Johannesburg develop and live different versions of masculinity.
I wish to invite your child to participate in my Masters Research project. Should you agree that your son may participate; your son will be given a disposable camera and asked to take twenty four pictures with the theme “My life as a boy”. Arrangements will be made by the researcher to collect and process the photos. The printed photos will be returned to your son. Your son will then be invited to participate in an individual interview, as well as a focus group with another four boys. In the individual interview, which will last approximately an hour, your son will be asked to discuss his photos and questions will be asked to gain clarity. In the focus group, which will last approximately an hour, your son and the other boys, will be asked to choose five photos that best describe their lives as boys and share their views about boyhood amongst each other. The individual interviews and focus group will take place
173 after school hours on the school premises. By allowing your child to take part in this study you will be helping the researcher in this project to better understand how young boys develop their boyhood or manhood within the context of a private multi-racial school. The research also aims to promote alternative ways of understanding masculinity.
Participation in the study is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw your child from the study at any time and it will not be held against you or your child in any way. Your son‟s identity will be kept strictly confidential and his privacy is assured. However, it should be noted that in the focus groups, due to its group nature, even though confidentiality will be discussed, it cannot be guaranteed. Nevertheless, no identifying information will be included in the research report. The data (transcripts, tapes and photos) will be kept in a safe and secure location in the psychology department with restricted access to only my supervisor and me. The data collected in the study may be used as a part of a larger research study that my supervisor Malose Langa is conducting, and therefore the raw data will only be destroyed once this is completed and accepted for qualification. Due to the potentially sensitive nature of the topic counselling, post probably with the school psychologist, will be made available to your son if required. Finally, the results will be made available to you in the form of a 1 page summary.
Your child‟s participation in this study would be greatly appreciated. If you allow your son to participate in the study please will both you and your son fill in your details on the forms below and tell your son to give them back to the researcher.
Should you have any questions you may contact the researcher on 082 9327 083.
Thank-you
Yours sincerely
___________________
Robyn-Leigh Smith (Student – Masters in Community-Counselling Psychology) School of Community and Human Development
Discipline of Psychology Wits
174 Private bag 3
2050
Tel: 0829327083
Email address: [email protected]
Supervisor‟s details
____________________
Malose Langa (Counselling Psychologist and Lecturer) School of Community and Human Development Discipline of Psychology
Wits
Private bag 3 2050
Tel: (011) 717-4536
Email address: [email protected]
NB: Please note that even with your permission, it is your child‟s choice whether or not he
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Appendix D: Consent form for parents/guardians
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Consent form for parents/guardians
I have read the information sheet and understood what the research project involves. My child may participate in the study, will be given disposable camera, asked to participate in the individual interview and focus group.
I am aware and understand that:
I may withdraw my child from the study at any time and it will not be held against me or my child in any way.
There are no direct benefits in the participation of this study This is a minimal risk study
Participation for this interview is entirely voluntary
No information that may identify my son will be included in the research report There are limitations in the guaranteeing of confidentiality and anonymity
I hereby consent for my child to participate in this research project. I also give Robyn-Leigh Smith permission for my child‟s results and direct quotes to be used in the write up of this study.
Child‟s name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Parent‟s Name: ___________________________ Parent‟s signature: ___________________________ Parent‟s contact number: ___________________________
176
Appendix E: Participant Information sheet
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Participant Information sheet
Dear Participant
Hello, my name is Robyn-Leigh Smith. I am currently completely a Masters in Community- Counselling Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand. One requirement of the Masters course involves the completion of a research project. The research that I am conducting aims to explore the social construction of masculinity amongst boys in a private multi-racial school. This research project aims to understand what boys do to make them boys.
I wish to invite you to participate in my Masters Research project. Should you agree to participate, you will be given a disposable camera and asked to take twenty four pictures with the theme “My life as a boy”. As a researcher I will make arrangements with you to collect and process the photos. The printed photos will be returned to you. You will then be invited to participate in an individual interview, where you will discuss with me the photos and what they mean to you as a boy and your life as a boy today. A few weeks after the individual interview, you be required to participate in a focus group with other boys, in which you will select five photos from the group that best described how the group sees what it means to be a boy. The individual interviews and focus groups will take place after school hours on the school premises. By taking part in this study you will help the researcher in this project to better understand how young boys develop their boyhood or manhood in the context of a private multi-racial school. The research also aims to explore how the boys of different races negotiate and make sense of their masculinity in post-apartheid South Africa.
177 Participation in the study is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw from the study at any time and it will not be held against you in any way. You have the right not to answer any questions you feel uncomfortable answering. Your identity will be kept strictly confidential and your privacy is assured. However, it should be noted that due to the group nature of the focus groups that even though confidentiality will be discussed it cannot be guaranteed. Please note that no identifying data will be included in the research report. Should you be interested in the results of the study, a 1 page summary will be made available to you through your school. The data in this study may be used as part of a larger research study and that the raw data will only be destroyed once this is completed and accepted for qualification. The data (transcripts, tapes and photos) will be kept in a safe and secure location in the psychology department with restricted access to only my supervisor and me. Counselling, with most probably the school psychologist, will be made available to you if you require it to discuss anything that arose in the research process.
Your participation in this study would be greatly appreciated. If you choose to participate in the study please will you fill in your details on the forms below. You have also been given a form to take home for your parents to read and sign if you wish to take part in the study. Please return both these forms to the researcher.
Yours sincerely,
_________________
Robyn-Leigh Smith (Student- Masters in Community Counselling psychology)
School of Community and Human Development Discipline of Psychology
Wits
Private bag 3 2050
Tel: 0829327083
178 Supervisor‟s details
________________
Malose Langa (Counselling Psychologist and Lecturer)
School of Community and Human Development Discipline of Psychology
Wits
Private bag 3 2050
Tel: (011) 717-4536
179
Appendix F: Interview – Assent form for the participants
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Interview - Assent form for the participants
I have read and understood what this research involves and what is expected of me.
I understand that:
I may refuse to answer any questions that I feel uncomfortable answering
I may withdraw from the study at any time and it will not be held against me in any way
Participation in this interview is entirely voluntary and no information that may identify me will be included in the research report
I agree to the use of direct quotes in the research report
I am aware of the limitations of confidentiality and anonymity
I am aware that there are no direct benefits for participation in this research This is a minimal risk study
I hereby consent to participate in this research project. I also give Robyn-Leigh Smith permission for my results to be used in the write up of this study.
Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________ Signature: ____________________________
180
Appendix G: Focus Group – Assent form for the participants School of Human & Community Development
Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Focus Group - Assent form for the participants
I have read and understood what this research involves and what is expected of me.
I understand that:
I may refuse to answer any questions that I feel uncomfortable answering
I may withdraw from the study at any time and it will not be held against me in any way
Participation in this focus group is entirely voluntary and no information that may identify me will be included in the research report
I am aware that the confidentiality of what is discussed and my anonymity cannot be guaranteed
I agree to the use of direct quotes in the research report
I am aware that there is no direct benefit from the participation in this research This is a minimal risk study
I hereby consent to participate in this research project. I also give Robyn-Leigh Smith permission for my results to be used in the write up of this study.
Name: ___________________________
Date: __________________________
181
Appendix H: Recording consent form
School of Human & Community Development Faculty of Humanities
University of the Witwatersrand
Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050
Tel: (011) 717 4500 Fax: (011) 717 4559
_______________________________________________________________________________
Recording consent form
I ______________________________________________ consent to my interview with Robyn-Leigh Smith, in her study on constructions of young adolescent boys‟ masculinity in a private multi-racial school, being tape-recorded.
I understand that:
The tapes and transcripts will be kept in a safe and secure place at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The tapes and transcripts will not be seen or heard by any person in this organisation other than the researcher and her supervisor, and will only be processed by them. All tape recordings will be destroyed after the research is complete and qualification has been obtained..
No identifying information will be used in the transcripts or the research report as the researcher will make use of pseudonyms in the identifying of the different participants. I further give consent to the researcher, Robyn-Leigh Smith, to use direct quotes that will be stripped of any identifying information.
Name: ________________________________________
Date: _________________________________________
182