Atrapos.eu » Data Collection

another interview (the theme of ’subcultures’)

atrapos — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:48:23 +0000

Today i had another research interview here in Manchester with a Greek, male counselling psychologist living and working in the UK. What was mostly interesting in this case was that this participant was clearly locating himself in the various subcultures that he seems to associate with. For example, when talking about his frequent visits to his original culture (Greece), he said that there is the little rural town in the North of Greece where he grew up and his mum not lives there, there is the urban capital of Athens where most of his friends are and the other urban centre (salonica) where hsi brother and other friends live. In terms of belonging he expressed a sense of confusion but also said that he is aware of the different aspects of himself (in terms of mannerism etc) that emerge when at each of those places (more…)

interviewing in my native language etc

atrapos — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:13:35 +0000

I had a research interview today with a Greek counselling psychologist in Athens who has spent two years studying and working in London before returning to set up privately in Greece. On a previous occassion, i had wondered whether the data am tapping into is at many levels unconscious in which case the dialogue in a second language around the matter might be causing certain barriers. Today i suggested that we conducted the interview in greek, as it was also more comfortable for this particlular participant, to see what happens. I am not sure if i have noticed sth different in relation to anything that relates to deeper emotional experience, as i think we didnt go that deep with this interviewee. It seems that for her it was clear that when she went to the uk she was for a specific purpose and i was thinking that sh eprobably didnt allow the host culture to intrude or ‘enter’ her that much. What i did notice is that our body language and whole mannerism was quite different than when i am conducting interviews in english. From my part, i was still using many english words when reflecting back or summarising information she was offering – am deeply aware that my counsellor and researcher personas are thinking and operating and ’speaking’ in english…my interviewee was much more comfortable in greek and it was obvious to me that the ammount of time spent in the host culture as well as the individual attitude of each sojourner towards that experience do play a crucial role on what the culture does or doesn’t (more…)

more data coming in

atrapos — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:57:27 +0000

so…its been a while i havent updated my blog, i guess its all my mobility (travelling to India, Greece etc) that has kept me away from desktop, also due to all the other things that life throws on the way, with family matters etc. BUT, i think it is good torecord here that i have been doing well with conducting more research interviews (I did 2 very interesting ones when in India: one with a Brazilian counsellor working in Canada and one with a Canadian counsellor working in India….such unique opportunities to get in one place and do a recording with such colleagues!). (more…)

Self-disclosure during interviewing

atrapos — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:25:25 +0000

Something i have been wrestling with in relation to what happens when am interviewing my research participants has been the fact that often the interviewee cannot access easily the tacit or probably unconscious insights in relation to the experience that is exlored and we are often both left frustrated by ‘not having the words’ for something that is otherwise intuitivelly felt. when discussing with Colin the other day, he confirmed that this is very common, to his experience also, when researching cultural identity etc, it is something so deeply rooted within, with so many layers that is is not easily accessed.

During some interviews, i realised that if i disclose some of my own personal experiences and insights around what am asking, then the interviewee may identify some of that within and unfold their own story. (more…)

Data collection dilemmas (supervision)

atrapos — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:27:32 +0000

As i move along, i encounter people that i can interview for the PhD. I am aware of being anxious about a number of things, dilemmas i need to answer before i proceed: (more…)

More interviews!…in transit again

atrapos — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:54:03 +0000

It’s been a while i have written on the blog…when in my homeland i get so much distracted by so many issues on the side of the PhD that it is hard to find time to write. This is also due to the fact that i do not have much of a ‘personal space’ when in GR. However I have done two research interviews during the past few days. One with a Greek clinical psychologist who trained and practised in the UK and the US before returning to GR about 2 and a half years ago and another counsellor/psychotherapist who trained and worked in the UK, currently practising in Athens. They both offered very ‘rich’ data…i need to get my head down and do the transcriptions as the data is pilling up now and i need to keep on track with the process WHEN IT HAPPENS.

I am taking a plane soon…in a liminal space again…this is always followed by a mixture of feelings (excitement, frustration, tiredness, confict, relief, anticipation, fear, joy….so much contradiction really!)

Myself as research participant

atrapos — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 17:36:22 +0000

As I am thinking about the choice of Heuristic Research as methodological stance for my PhD, I can see more and more the importance of reflexivity and acquiring a perspective and way of being at all stages of the research where i can find a balance between my ‘own story’ of the phenomenon I am exploring and that of the co-researchers. (more…)

Interviews so far (reflections…”How to” from now on?)

atrapos — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 19:20:05 +0000

I feel the need to write down a brief summary of all the interviews i have done so far to get a clearer view of the broader picture.Here we are: (more…)

Interview with Abd. 20.6.2007

atrapos — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:06:51 +0000

Last week William introduced me to a colleague who is visiting the UK for a short period, after having immigrated to Canada (host culture) and working there as a therapist. This was such a unique opportunity to interview him for the research. We arranged to have an interview today. I feel amazed by how powerful a research interview can be, even when it is with somebody that you meet for the first time. So much rich data came out of the encounter and i feel enriched by it (although I notice that i tend to feel quite exhausted and hungry, after conducting a research interview…i guess it’s cause it involves deep processing and level of engaging). I wish i could dedicate time to hear the recording today and make notes about it but i know that i need to stay focused on preparing the panel presentation so, i have to postpone that for later. (more…)

Listening on interview recordings

atrapos — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 17:58:13 +0000

I spent most of the morning/afternoon today listening on the recording of the research interview with M. and remembered what an engaging process that is. I know that doing verbatim transcription is far more tiring…but listening to the tape and also keeping notes with a reflexive attitude is also very demanding (and interesting process). I think a good point to keep in mind is that a researcher may be ‘catching’ into awareness different nuances each time he/she listens to the recording – depending on ‘where’ one is at that particular moment. Also. i have a sense that location place a role for some reason, maybe more so in my case where I am researching ‘culture’. (more…)

Interview with M.

atrapos — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:46:59 +0000

I did a research interview with participant M. today to pilot the interview schedule (from fresh) as i have prepared it for the review panel proposal. Thw whole process flew really well, i enjoyed it and felt that there is a lot of interesting data in there. Soon after the ineterview, I listened carefully to the tape and made notes about the process and the interaction and also recorded the main themes and ideas drawn from the interviewee’s responses, to capture the initial ‘feel’. I do not have the time to do the fully detailed verbatim transcript right now but i produced a 6-page ’summary’ document for this interview as ‘individual depiction’ in heuristic terms, whilst also recording some significant quotes using the participant’s actual words (tried to keep close to M’s own words when writing up my notes anyway). I emailed those ‘filednotes’ to my supervisor and his comments were very positive actually. I have to go back and do a bit more work on my proposal now, also need to finalise the other documents required for the panel and print them off for William to sign before submission to Debbie on Friday.

I sent my process notes about the intreview with M. to William, with the following note on my email:

“ i did an interviw with M. yesterday to pilot the interview schedule i recently prepated…it was really so interesting but also engaging…deep process, it exhausted me but also inspired me…..difficult to differentiate the different dynamics within (my relationship to the topic, my personhood,my counsellor in me, the researcher…and hearing another Greek talking about all this)… you re right: the professional impact also brought up the personal stuff,big way…and of course the two greeks doing the interview when in England brings up so much…..everything is data, how wonderful and owverwhelming at the same time…i feel on edge but also touched and moved,loads going on”
and he responded by saying:

“This is interesting data and PhDable. I thought about Pittu’s Esatern/western dimesnions and how you Greeks seemed to be at the eastern end of his table and then Marina uses a metaphor that Pittu used in his last meetign and interview with me – Chameleon.”

Good to have the blog space to record all this

My email to sojourner, nomad friends…and their replies

atrapos — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 14:50:41 +0000

On Friday, 2nd March, I wrote the following emai to some of my friends who also live abroad, the sojourners that battle with cultural identity, the cultural adaptation, the dilemmas around going back to what used to feel like ‘home’ but not anymore etc…:

“Dear friends,

(more…)

Skills for cross-cultural interviews (the Resiliency Wheel)

atrapos — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:25:33 +0000

I have become interested in the concept of resilience, defined as follows, depening on context:

The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune; buoyancy.
The property of a material that enables it to resume its original shape or position after being bent, stretched, or compressed; elasticity.

This is a ‘positive’ skill/quality to look at in relation to the topic of cultural adaptation. I also came accross a model about how to approch cross-cultural interviews, using the ‘resiliency wheel’..more can be found by cliching here:The Resiliency Wheel article

On cultural adjustment…(Ann S.)

atrapos — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 17:38:17 +0000

I had email exchange today with a colleague and fellow researcher (A.S.) who has been living and practising as a therapist in Belgium for a few years now (she moved there from the UK due to her husband’s career). When talking about her feelings/experience around living in a host culture, she mentioned the following factors that helped her, in terms of managing the ‘cultural shock’ both externally and internally. She wrote: (more…)