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A Biographical-Narrative Inquiry To The Transitions Of Latin American Immigrant Students: A Collective Case Study In The Context Of Chilean Higher Education, César M. Díaz Pacheco, Juan Llanes Ordóñez, María Paz Sandín Esteban, María Leonor Conejeros Solar

The Qualitative Report

Chile has positioned itself as an important receiving nation of immigrants in Latin America, which is evidenced by the emergence of foreign students in both universities and professional institutes. The main objective of this article is to understand the inclusion-exclusion factors of a group of Latin American students immersed in Chile’s higher education system. The authors used a biographical-narrative inquiry to conduct eight in-depth interviews and a participatory group methodology in Chile’s Valparaíso Region. The findings show that factors such as the presence of an influential adult figure, institutional welcoming mechanisms, access to work, and expectations of timely graduation and …

Multiple Sclerosis And Maternity: A Psychological Explorative Qualitative Research, Maria Carlino, Roberta Lanzillo, Alessandro Chiodi, Roberto Vitelli, Luigi Lavorgna, Vincenzo Brescia Morra, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

Considering women living with multiple sclerosis (MS), motherhood may represent a complicated event. Our aim in this study is to explore the personal meanings related to maternity and illness in women living with this disease. We have involved twenty women suffering from MS and we have administered an open interview introduced by a trigger question as a prompt aimed to elicit a narrative of their experience of illness, wishes, doubts, fears and life-projects with regard to motherhood. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim in order to carry out an analysis of the textual corpus. We have performed the textual …

“I Wanted To Know More”: A Narrative Exploration Of Community College Students’ Goals And Aspirations, Jason P. Vanora

The Qualitative Report

The literature on community colleges is overwhelmed by outcomes-oriented data concerning retention, attrition, and graduation rates. What we lack is a more complete understanding of why community college students choose to enroll in the first place. The current study seeks to fill this gap. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, students reported feeling motivated to attend community college by their desires to reconstruct themselves as scholars, make proud their families and communities of origin, achieve social mobility, and develop a more accomplished and purposeful sense of self. Implications of these findings for teaching and learning are discussed, as is the …

Language And Globalization: An Autoethnographic Approach: Book Review Of A Collection Of Personal Narratives, Anuja Sarda

The Qualitative Report

Maryam Borjian’s (2017a) edited book, Language and Globalization: An Autoethnographic Approach, provides real and personal narratives of authors from different geographical locations across the globe around complex issues surrounding linguistic globalization. Using autoethnography as a method, the book steps away from the typical academic writing. It engages readers into plots contextualized in several parts of the world about diverse languages which are intertwined with theoretical frameworks and concepts specific to the field of language and linguistics. The format of the book allows all readers to comprehend complex concepts through the medium of stories and help make personal connections. The …

Multilayered Analyses Of The Experiences Of Undocumented Latinx College Students, Yue Shi, Laura E. Jimenez-Arista, Joshua Cruz, Terrence S. Mctier Jr., Mirka Koro-Ljungberg

The Qualitative Report

Being the target of constant discrimination and marginalization can often cause intense negative psychological reactions and shame for undocumented students. The following qualitative study describes past and current undocumented Latinx students’ experiences of educational inequality in higher education influenced by labels associated with “being undocumented.” In this study we used a constructivist theoretical perspective which enabled us to focus on undocumented participants’ perspectives, experiences, meaning-making processes, values, and beliefs. Data was collected through hour-long, semi-structured interviews with five undocumented students. Student narratives were analyzed using a multi-layered analysis approach: (1) narrative, (2) thematic, and (3) critical incident analysis. Findings for …

Music Generated Narratives: Elaborating The Da Capo Interview Technique, Martin Cortazzi, Nick Pilcher, Lixian Jin

The Qualitative Report

This paper shows how we played researcher-selected extracts of music to participants in “the Da Capo technique,” to elicit narratives of their learning experiences. Previously, we used music alongside other techniques in an interview about learning; here we explore the Da Capo technique as a standalone technique to study its potential for narrative recall. To do this, we played 10 one-minute long extracts of classical music (five “Western” and five “Chinese”) to 20 participants (10 “Western” and 10 “Chinese”). After hearing each piece, participants were asked if the music recalled for them any experiences of learning. When it did so, …

Barriers To School-Based Parent Involvement While Living In Public Housing: A Mother’S Perspective, Stephanie Lechuga-Peña, Daniel Brisson

The Qualitative Report

Parent involvement is associated with child academic outcomes, positive behaviors, and social skills. This qualitative study explored school-based parent involvement barriers experienced by nine low-income mothers. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from mothers participating in a community-based program offered in a large public housing neighborhood. Findings included three main barriers: (a) cultural and language differences in their children’s school, (b) undertones of racism from teachers and parents, and (c) being the primary caregiver or sole provider for their children. Although all parents experience challenges to school involvement, low-income mothers face additional obstacles preventing them from engaging in their …

Motherhood Redefined: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experiences Of Lesbian Mothers And The Sociopolitical Conflicts That Shape Their Narratives, Melissa Miller-Munoz

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the lives of lesbian mothers with children conceived through insemination or the adoption process in an effort to understand the conflicts they encountered along their journey to motherhood and how they managed those conflicts. The qualitative study included in-depth interviews conducted with six participants. The participants’ ages ranged between 25-60 years old. Interview results were analyzed to explore participants’ narratives in regards to their experiences, relationships, identities and transformation into motherhood. This research highlights significant ongoing developments in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) studies and seeks to intersect the boundaries between interpersonal …

Spousal Caregiver Narratives And Credible Authority: Uncertainty In Illness Of Spousal Caregivers, Karen Sodowsky

The Qualitative Report

This article is taken from a larger longitudinal study that used caregiver interviews, caregiver surveys, and caregiver statistical information of one community. The interviews were conducted with six spousal caregivers to examine the narratives produced by spouses actively caring for their partners with dementia. The spousal caregivers were interviewed multiple times over approximately 12 to 18 months. The author was the caregiver counselor and had worked in the community in social services for fifteen years. The narratives were analyzed using a phenomenological approach that allowed the development of descriptions of uncertainty and sharing caregiver narratives with a specialized audience. The …

Entering Into A "Community" Of Experience And Meaning: A Review Of Interviewing For Education And Social Science Research: The Gateway Approach By Carolyn Lunsford Mears, Robin Cooper

The Qualitative Report

In Interviewing for Education and Social Science Research: The Gateway Approach, Carolyn Lunsford Mears outlines an approach to in-depth interviewing in qualitative research that draws upon educational criticism, oral history, and poetic display. Mears describes this narrator centered approach as including the development of an insider’s perspective and the use of excerpted narratives. She also provides useful guides and examples in the appendices to the book, making the text especially helpful to the novice qualitative researcher

Volume 13, Number 2 (Fall 2006), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.

Ring Of Silence: African American Women’S Experiences Related To Their Breasts And Breast Cancer Screening, Eileen Thomas

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study was to explore women’s memories and feelings concerning their breasts and breast cancer screening experiences in relation to their current breast cancer screening behaviors. Twelve African American women shared stories that were generated in written narratives and individual interviews. Two core themes emerged from the data analysis: silence and societal contradictions. On further review and interpretation of the core themes, one integrative theme became apparent: Ring of silence. Contradictory messages women receive from society, both voiced and unvoiced, can have a long- term effect on how some women perceive their bodies, and how they value …

Constructive Storytelling: A Peace Process, Jessica Senehi

Peace and Conflict Studies

Excerpt

These lines were written by Robert Desnos, a leading poet of the French surrealist movement. Surrealism was an artistic movement of 1924−1936 which valued the imagination, plumbing the wisdom of the unconscious, and a creativity unfettered by reason and convention. Desnos was known for his agile imagination and his experimental style. He was also a journalist, produced radio shows, and wrote advertising jingles.