Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of all things within cultural boundaries.
ASSIGNMENT 6: FINAL REPORT
Tracy Fernandez
- tracyyf@gmail.com
Thembakazi
Makwakwa - tembkz@gmail.com
Laura A. Goodman
- lgoodm10@gmail.com
Neville Dampies
- nevilledampies66@gmail.com
Introduction
In our research, we explored many key areas of how culture changes, and affects how people live and thrive in society. We
focused our research on a set of themes: Family background, gender roles, education, and religion also played as a smaller
focal point. Family background held a lot of
different categories that highly affected the life of the interviewees. Family background helps determines what class the
family is in, status, prestige, quality of opportunities or lack there of, and also how they will raise their future families
as well.
Gender roles also includes labor division. Information on labor division would help in determining who did the household chores,
as well as who is the breadwinner of the family. Gender roles play a huge part in raising of the children in all cultures,
and we wanted to see if and how, ways of rearing children changed throughout cultural differences. Child rearing alone ended
up being it’s own focal point within the gender role category.
Education also held the possibility classifying each interviewee. Each participant’s level of education differed, but
our main research around education was to see the opportunity of education that was allowed during upbringing, how determined
they were to finish their education, and the opportunities in education that they want for their children.
Religion was the final theme, and also played a part in determining family closeness. Religion has the potential to bring
families together, and also to tear them apart. In interviewing people from different cultures, religion had to be essential
completing our research, and making it more accurate.
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of all things within cultural boundaries, explores all of the topics that we included in our
research themes. One’s cultural boundaries are placed upon them at the time of birth, and each person’s boundaries
are widely varied. Our research was to see, based on information we could gather in interviewing people from different cultural
backgrounds, how their lives now play out due to their societal upbringing in various places of the world. Each participant
allowed us to interview them, and gather copious amounts of information, in order to have accurate research, and results.
Methods
In gathering the data, we each picked a person to interview. For every person interviewed, a waiver was first signed in order
to protect the identities, and personal rights of each interviewee. For the actual interviews, we used many different techniques
in order to gain precise knowledge of the backgrounds, and cultural beliefs of our interviewees. There was a pre-determined
set of questions that we used during the interviews. The pre-determining was done in order to have less deviated data than
by asking a variety of different questions that swayed from our ultimate goal in the research. We all have verbatim interviews
that were taken by typing them while doing the interview, and/or taping the conversation, and typing the interview at a later
date.
All of the verbatim interviews are
posted on the UWC website, and each individual interviewer also holds a hardcopy from their single interview. My interviewee
was a young, white, male at the age of 22. He was born to middle-upper class parents, and had many opportunities as he was
being raised. “Superman” was another one of our interviewees, who had an incredible story. He was an older man,
who was not born into sponsored mobility like the first interviewee. He in turn had to make a way with what he was given.
“Superman” also had to deal more with racism than most of the other interviewees. A third interviewee was called
“Rey.” He was born to a family who had a good amount of money, and he was apart of a very large family at that.
His parents divorced, and the roles of his family then changed. He was first comparable to interviewee 1, and then after life
circumstances changed, was more comparable to “superman.”
For this particular research, we were more focused on how gender, race, and overall culture affected their way of life while
growing up, and how they live life now because of this way of upbringing. The majority of the race questions that were asked
to interviewee 1 did not apply to him, and for future research in a particularly same class upbringing, the questions in the
interview would be more so focused on how they feel others have been affected by racism around them. The questions as a whole
brought forth great opportunity for information. There were many detailed questions to ask, and each category was covered
completely for the requirement of our research. A very good question that we opened the interviews up with was for each person
to explain their own definition of family. This was key in determining how similar each culture viewed their own family. Gender
role questions also flowed into labor division, and how the participants viewed the labor division within their own household.
For the most part, the predetermined questions opened the door for more detailed
information from our interviewees.
We found that if given a chance to talk on their own once asked a question, they would delve into more information without
being asked further, or to elaborate on a previous statement. Interviewee 1 seemed to be at ease with the questions, as well
did “superman.” They did not seem offended by the types of questions that we asked, and both were very intelligent
men. Effective listening seemed to be the best PlA technique that we used. By letting the interviewee talk freely, it made
them feel more comfortable to give more details. Our questioning was also vital in opening the way for conducting effective
research. We also used appropriate attitudes and behaviors in order to encourage our participants to feel comfortable with
sharing the personal details of their lives. The PLA techniques that we chose to use worked well with our particular type
of research.
Literature review
While reviewing the four interviews
there was an obvious distinction between them. The two interviewees from South Africa had similar lives; even though they
were not born during the same time period and the two Americans also had similar lives however the South Africans compared
to the Americans had extremely different backgrounds. Their lives were directly affected by their parent’s social and
economic status, as most people’s are.
On one side of the spectrum, there
are two men who came from rough upbringings because of under privileged lives however they succeeded through their own accomplishments
rather than relying on their parents. Both relied on religion as their guide and had a greater appreciation for life because
their struggles were life altering and threatening. On the other side, there are two young men who survive solely on their
parent’s income, one still living at home and the other a former boarding school attendee. Both are currently attending
college. However, this is not meant to devalue the young Americans and later this shall be illustrated using the reoccurring
idea that people who do not live in the lap of luxury have a better understanding of what is important in life, and they believe
it is family.
Family is their life support
and they acknowledge that without the family support circle, they would remain as nothing. The two young Americans do not
have family support, or simply do not have the same a necessity for it except financially. They live off the wealth of their
parents, but do they live off of the love as well? Do they communicate with their family on a daily basis as the South Africans
do and work and involve themselves in daily family routines? Just because they did not mention this in the interview, does
not necessarily mean it is not true, but it should be questioned.
One American lives with his mother, the main breadwinner, but knows nothing of his family life. It is puzzling that one person
could become so isolated from the people he shares his life. Then there is the other who lives far from his family but still
receives financial support. During the interview there was no mention of family relationship or closeness because it seems
as though, there is none, as he has been moving around, and away from his family. Yet these boys live a well-privileged life
yet have no mention of family values within their own household, not to say they will not have family values in the future
for their own families.
In Chambers’, ‘Representing
the Family’, she makes a point that in Western cultures there is a modernity of family values and the definition of
family. Superman’s family is seen as traditional, where the father is the main source of income and the mother is the
homemaker. Then there is Rey and Steven who have an ‘alternative’ family lifestyle where there the mother is the
wage earner and the father is either nonexistent or a secondary source of income. Even though Steven is living with a single
mother he has yet to make any strong connections with her, but and then the other American (no name) has parents who remain
married but still has no bond with either. This illustrates the idea that the American family is based on the “assumption
of a white, middle class normative model that is absent of strong extended kinship ties” (11). Even though Rey grew
up without his father, he remained extremely close to his mother, mainly due to their impoverished lifestyle; she also acted
as a spiritual guide. Then Superman had both parents together with a large number of siblings, which gave him a huge family
network of support.
As afore previously mentioned, these men come came from different backgrounds but then and there are stereotypes that arise
from each. The white, middle-class families have little or no family structure and often have closer bonds with their peers
as result. And then there are the South African, black families who are extremely close to their families and continue to
be close even when deemed unnecessary; even after they have created their own lives. Family structure is the heart of reasoning
for social status. They way you are raised determines who you will be and exemplifies where you are from.
Analysis
Our research questions focused on
determine the differences in Culture as we interviewed people in our countries of origin. The process of collecting data was
narratives as stories were constructed by each interviewer in team of researchers. Some of the researchers used different
methods in data collecting method were used then transcribed in order to make interpretations. Data was organised using coding
process were themes were identified Coding is a process for both categorizing qualitative data and for describing the implications
and details of these categories. This process includes of combing the data for themes, ideas and categories and then marking
similar passages of text with a code label so that they can easily be retrieved at a later stage for further comparison and
analysis (Maykut & Morehouse, 2001). Maykut & Morehouse (2001) also stated that this process makes it easier for the
researcher to search for data in order to make comparisons and to identify any patterns which requires further investigation.
The researcher looked at the structure of the narratives and how the story was organised focusing on how it was developed
as well were it begins and ends. This process is said to be the narrative analysis which is a process of analysis involving
chronologically told story, with a focus on how elements are sequenced, why some elements are evaluated differently from others,
how the past shapes perceptions of the present, how the present shapes perceptions of the past, and how both shape perceptions
of the future (Alvarez & Urla, 2002)). The method of the narrative analysis used in the study is the life story method
which involved each researcher interviewing a participant and retelling their story (Burck, 2005) identifying important elements
on how the participant express meaning through recollecting what happened.
The main aim of this study was to
understand the different in cultural practises and experiences of people from their countries of origin. The analysis of the
reach findings about the cultural experiences and comparing the South African to the United States is acknowledged. The data
was collected story telling focusing on the interviewee’s life story and background. The analysis was conducted firstly
by reading the three different types of stories by the interviewees in order to get the sense of the whole data. Then the
individual stories were coded and themes were retrieved. The researcher then used the themes in correlation with the literature
from the family theories used in the module. The aim of was to set the findings within knowledge about families in order to
identify new contributions. The discussions on themes used the participant’s verbatim stories and no changes were made
to the content of the stories. Questions from the interview presents a guide on how the various responses were presented for
the analysis. The research question, for the purpose of this study is: - what are the different components that can be viewed as similar or different in the different households and families?
Focus is on highlighting importance of the aspects of the household as stated by participants in their individual experiences
showing the difference and some similarities on the stories as they were told. Researchers were then able to point out from
the individual story what they family background as well as community contributed in the manner that shows or frames cultural
difference of individuals.
The results are summarised according to themes below:-
Theme 1:-Family structure and background
Participants come from different
diverse family background, some grew up in a nuclear family structure while others are from a broken family because of divorce
constituting to single family. The different types of families have different practices. In the nuclear family structure a
women stays at home as man becomes a breadwinner. Two different families, a woman in other family can go sick for employment
if she wants, whilst the other only was only free to do that after divorce because it was not allowed by the husband or the
cultural ideology such as patriarchal system. Even though the family exist as strong component never the less the structure,
family structure or type may also contribute may shape perception or norms of the family or house hold. Some scholars or ideologies
suggest suggests that the traditional nuclear family nor longer exist due to new family, types the increase of divorce, remarriage,
blended families and so forth (Smart & Neale, 1999). Chambers, (1999) highlights patriarchy as a form of differentiating
between what is masculinity and femininity within a family structure. He (1999) in support of the finding that there are diverse
family structure/ forms of family but nuclear family remains dominant and man remain the most important member of the female
before in order to provide for the family. Chambers (1999) looked at how cultural methods were used together with historical
ad sociological sources and approaches in order to study the way how these approaches benefit only a certain type of family.
Theme 2: Gender roles and labour division, In Superman’s story, he had to leave school
while he was young to find a job. Children had to be the one’s who are working, instead of adults; same was identified
in Laura’s family. Women in Rey’s family would be the breadwinner due to divorce, before women would be responsible
for household unpaid work. The family ideology stipulates that core domestic labour remains the women’s work regardless
of whether that woman is receives a wage or not (Goldscheider and Waite, 1991). These women were agreed to remain house-wives,
technology emerged making the domestic work less skilled. In most case the fact majority of families the man would be the
breadwinner and would be the first choice in employment field as women remain unskilled. Feminist leaders believe that physical
differences between males and females should not be taken into consideration when hiring women to become policemen, firemen,
or combat soldiers. In Laura’s interview each and every member of the family have their turn in doing any type or chores,
regardless of whether they are female or male. Gender role as experienced and labour division are based on male dominants.
Women are discriminated in the work place, if they not they are working and still expected to fulfil the household duties
as well. The western planning theory states that a household consist of a nuclear family of husband, wife and children. The
household should function in socio economic unit within which there is equal control over resources and power of decision
making between all members in matters of household well-being as in Rey’s family. This consent links to the 3rd theme on family norms and, values
decision making as well as labour division. Again this theory states men are breadwinners primarily involved in productive
work outside home, while women as house wife, clear illustrated in Laura’s story. This theory supports the findings
of the study as clear brings out the household structure and gender division of labour in different cultures.
Theme 3: family Norms and values: sub-themes: decision making, political influence on family,
education, religion. In all three families, Christianity became a dominant value, In Laura’s celebrations were catholic
based, but slightly different in Rey’s family as the African culture of traditions was also combined with Christianity.
Decision making as an important element of the family interactions remains, different in families. Chambers argue that the
role played by government in family life, looking at sex, family morality and the way government’s restriction people’s
liberties. In Britain the state is choosing and promoting their own belief on what they thing morality should be like, as
the traditional family or the patriarchal values remain makes stable families. In some of the families from the findings,
the males become the decision makers.
Summary
Analysis dealt with in this part
of the report emerged from the findings/ results from the stories of individuals from different countries. The results suggest
that participant’s stories can be recognised from the identified themes namely gender role, family structure and family
norms and values of the families. The main theme of the findings relate to the diverse personal background, family structure
and their community of origin. With regard to their experiences the consulted literature brings out the different stakeholders
which may take turn in shaping the stories of individual’s experiences, such as political as well education system.
Conclusion and discussion
The study highlight that families is an important entity of the society and individuals are constantly challenge to
adapt to the new set of rules and regulations that constitute a family. The interviews that were conducted from the different
environments and background assisted this research to emphasis important themes from the study that are clearly observe within
the families of the South Africans and the Americans.
One
of the main aspects highlights from the interviews and supported by the theories is the labour divisions, gender, economic
influence and the female entering the workforce. Feminism supports the strong move of equal work for equal pay of women on
the basis of competence. A Strong move was now evidence from ‘family wages’ which were earned by the husband as
the breadwinner to ‘dual career income’ earned by husband and wife, in order to support the living standard of
the family. Government structure for example religion, political, welfare and judicial system become influential in determining
the fate of the family of what is acceptable of individuals within their family structure.
The main focus of the assignment
as stated earlier, was to have an understanding of the different household and
families, looking at cultural diversity. The interviews were conducted using the stories that have been told by the participants.
The researcher used the stories in order to construct the interviews which also appear on the list of the interview question
(see appendix B). The introduction and methodology gave a clear indication of how
the stories and difference in culture focusing on the themes (Appendix C). One
of the most important tool that, the student believes made great impact on the research is the use of the PLA tools such as the Eco-map, time and labour distribution table, communication skills were the
main contributors in order to have an understand type of family or community he/she comes from. The techniques gave the research an opportunity to set the interview scene for rapport-building and narrative accounts
of the events. The strategy used by the founders of the module in doing a verbatim story was very good, as the interviewees
were comfortable in communicating their life stories. Rey for an example experience the process as healing by talking about
his life experiences. The structured questionnaire assist the interview
process to recall the childhood development more accurate and within a chronological way.
An interesting point from the research is the religion and the role that it plays within the different families understudied
within the two countries. Religions had shape the foundation of these individuals and these practices are evident and continued
within the next generation. Racism and discrimination is another important conclusion and discussion point that has been highlighted
within the study. Racism was the mostly experience by the oldest member of the group, ‘superman’. He reports
the impact of ‘Apartheid’ within the South African contexts and highlights the aspects of living arrangement,
education, healthcare facilities, transport, cultural and ethnical division. The American families however report more their
experience of discrimination within a certain group of the society. Both these two different countries clearly auspicate that
the race are still a vital issue to be taken into account in dealing with family dynamics.
In
conclusion the family continues to stay a vital and energetic entity of the society and gives powerful meaning, standard,
norms and values to the individual. These structures assist the government, economic, religion and political development to
conform society to an ever changing entity.
The chapter on analysis provided a summary of results and the processes followed for data analysis.
The challenge in completing the
whole assignment was not being able to agree at the suitable time to finish the tasks for the assignment. This made it very
difficult as some pieces of information were not properly edited is missing. The geographical setting of the researcher or
contributors as well as time difference also made it difficult for the assignments to be completed on time. Transcripts are
even missing; this made it very difficult for me to compile the analysis. It also took a very long time for the respondents
to complete their life stories. Despite all the challenges, because the assignment used the qualitative design and story telling,
it was one of the main reasons, the essay got this far.
Reference
Alvarez, R
& Urla, J (2002). Tell me a good story: Using narrative analysis to examine information requirements interviews during
the ERP implementation. The Database for Advances in Information Systems 33(1),
38-52.
Burck, C. (2005).
Comparing qualitative research methodologies for systemic research: The use pf grounded theory, discourse analysis and narrative
analysis. Journal of Family Therapy 27(3): 237-262.
Chambers, D.
(1999). Representing the family. Sage publicatations.
Goldscheider
and Waites (1991). In Chambers, D. (1999). Representing the family. Sage publicatations
Maykut, P.
and Morehouse, R. (2001) Beginning Qualitative Research: A philosophical and practical
guide. London: Routledge Falmer. See part III.
Smart and Neal
(1999) cited Chambers, D. (1999). Representing the family. Sage publicatations.
APPENDIX
A
Informed consent
Dear participant
You are being
invited to take part in a research project. Please take some time to read the information presented here, which will
explain the details of this project. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions about any part of this project that
you do not fully understand. It is very important that you are fully satisfied that you clearly understand what this
research entails and how you could be involved.
The study
The University
of the Western Cape and the University of Carolina, in the United States of America, have joined to conduct research with
regard to families. This research is part of a larger teaching and learning project called, South African Families and Households.
The purpose of the joint project is to join instructors, who teach, and students, who learn, at these two institutions. The
focus is on Family Studies: How similar and different families are in different countries/cultures.
Risks involved in your taking part
There are no
physical risks that you will suffer by participating in this study. If you somehow feel uncomfortable about answering some
of the questions for compilation of the story which you feel may evoke emotional risk or discomfort, you can still withdraw
and the researcher will arrange counselling for you if needed at no cost you.
Remuneration
You will not
be paid to take part in the study and there will be no costs involved for you, if you do take part.
Confidentiality
You privacy
including personal identity will be protected. Survey will be coded and a number will be used in illustrating your identity.
The reached does not intend to use your name for the purpose of the study and will ensure a professional and non- disclosure
of your details without your permission.
Declaration by participant
By signing below, I …………………………………..………….
agree to take part in a research study entitled: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of
all things within cultural boundaries within family diversity: A comparison study on
families in South Africa and United States.
I declare that:
I have read or had read to me this information and consent form and it is written in a language with which I am fluent
and comfortable.
I have had the opportunity to consider the information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.
I understand that taking part in this study is voluntary and I have not been pressurised to take part.
I may choose to leave the study at any time and will not be penalised or prejudiced in any way.
The researchers would use my stories/drawings for the purpose of this study only and not for any other purpose.
The identity of myself or any other person included in my story will be protected.
Signed at......................…........……………..
On ………….... 2009.
Signature of participant
……
Below are the people than can be contacted in case of any queries or complaints about the study.
|
Researchers/ investigators
Tracy Fernandez - tracyyf@gmail.com
Thembakazi Makwakwa - tembkz@gmail.com
Laura A. Goodman - lgoodm10@gmail.com
Neville Dampies - nevilledampies66@gmail.com
|
Course Instructors/facilitators
Vivienne Bozalek; University of the Western Cape: vbozalek@uwc.ac.za
Judy Aulette: University of North Carolina: jraulett@uncc.edu
Nicolette Roman: University of the Western Cape: nroman@uwc.ac.za
Jules Nshimirimana: University of the Western Cape: jnshimirimana@uwc.ac.za
|
NOTE: A copy of this form contain the details of the researcher is your in or to contact the researcher
for any questions regarding the study.
3
APPENDIX B
Interview questions
Family structure/ background
(a) What type of dwelling does the family live in?
How does the family organize the living space? Who sleeps in what room? How is the work and living space divided? How crowded
is the household?
(b) Who are the different individuals in your family?
Gender roles and labour division
(c) Who is involved in the daily preparation of food,
cleaning the home? Is domestic labour in the house performed on a paid or unpaid basis?
(d) Who cares for and rears the children? Who looks after
the family members who are sick, disabled or elderly?
(e) Do sons and daughters leave/remain at home when
they start work?
(f) Have family members changed at all in their
conceptions of what women’s and men’s roles in caring for others and domestic chores are?
(g) Who is involved in waged (i.e. paid) labor? How
is the income distributed in the household? What sort of work are wage earners involved in and for how
many hours a week?
Family norms and values
(h) By whom and how are the values and norms in the
family transmitted? Name three values that are regarded as most important
(i) How are decisions on daily family business
made?
(j) Are family members involved with community
institutions/organizations (e.g. sport, welfare work, civics etc.)
(k) Did the family migrate, and if so what were the reasons?
(influx control, forced removals, Group Areas Act, economic reasons, transport problems etc.)
