My Journey as a Qualitative Researcher by Nikhil Kumar

I was very young when I was handed over a story book to read by myself. That was a s sincere effort of my father to start reading and speaking in English right from the beginning. The story book was “The little match girl”. A story that made me think at a young age of 7 that how a structured combination of words curated with deep insights can bring an individual face to face with one’s own vulnerabilities. My vulnerability after reading that story was if I ever lose parents and the support of my family how will I be able to sustain my existence.

My journey to deep dive into tales and narratives to understand the unheard and unexpressed, that started there with an illustrated classic took a relapse after 15 years when I enrolled myself for post-graduate in Psychology in Delhi University and opted for Qualitative Research Methods as one of the papers.

The different readings and articles that I went through to understand the difficult concepts that I always overlooked like silence, speech, conversation, narratives, etc., made me realize how we as individuals often are surrounded by so many tales and stories that are often wounded and silenced by prejudices, social stigmas, dogmas and conventions that are perceived to be right by the majority.

Street Play Theatre - New Delhi

As a qualitative researcher, I have not only become cognizant of a new perspective to observe these issues but I have become more sensitive towards them. The readings that always seemed to be liability were proved to be an asset as that process churned and catalysed the process of self-inquiry in order to understand and empower the other. Through qualitative research I learnt how to use the personal experiences as a tool to effectively understand the struggles of the one being researched, I realized the journey from an outsider to insider can only be covered well if I do not supress my primary experiences with my own reality that we often would and neither allow myself to be overwhelmed by it. I understood how to use my experiences be it in silence via observing my ‘other’ or in a dialogue with the ‘other’ i.e., the process of critical subjectivity.

Qualitative research empowered me by awaking the curious student in me who does not claim to know everything. Since only if I know that ‘I don’t know’ I will be able to really empathise with the ‘other’ and in order to connect with the other I will have to give upon the claim that I know everything.

Street Play Performers - New Delhi

Maintaining a reflexive journal throughout the study is a very healthy habit for a researcher as it works as a doctor’s guide during the analysis of the data. Since we hear, read and watch the data after a significant time period to analyse it. Referring back to the reflexive journal to understand my own challenges while I was in interaction with my subject helps me to understand and analyse without any bias at a holistic level barring the research finding from any pre-conceived notion that I am influenced with.

Each story that I heard, shaped and reshaped my research process as every story helps another research question to emerge. Analysis of every verbatim, every transcript is a constant negotiation with the ‘my perception of reality’ vis-à-vis ‘how the other’s reality is shaped’ and unveils multiple layers of reflexivity during the process.

“I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage. A man walks across this empty space whilst someone else is watching him, and this is all that is needed for an act of theatre to be engaged.”

Peter Brook, The empty space

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Nikhil Kumar  is a post-graduate student at the Department of Psychology, University of Delhi. He is looking at street plays which address issues of gender in Indian society, organisations and workplaces. His Case Study is titled: Giving voice to unspoken issues of gender through the organization of Street Play Theatre.

Fieldwork Update and Thoughts by Guang Kahmei

It has been almost 5 months that I'm working with the UKIERI project team to develop a Case Study on “Organizational Tradition, Loss and Change of Naga Tribes in the North East State of India”. It has been an incredible experience to study the life of Naga (as I myself one) which I had never given much thought before. Naga is an ethnic group of people inhabited in the modern Indian states of Assam, Manipur Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Chin hill of Modern Myanmar. They are the indigenous tribes which consist of more than 55 tribes approximately adding upto 89 languages and dialect. 

Village road

As part of my fieldwork, I travelled to Zeliangrong hill (western part of Naga hill) in Manipur and Nagaland for my data collection from 20th December 2018 to 13th January 2019. I travelled to the heart of Zeliangrong region (Noney, Tamenglong) and the capital city of Manipur (Imphal) and Nagaland (Kohima) for interviews, storytelling session, Group discussion, Observing their festival and ritual performance. I also visited different Zeliangrong villages to observe their economy and to gather a holistic knowledge and information about the village administration system. The fieldwork ended recently in the month of January 2019, and here are the few reflections on the trip.

It was an overwhelming experience having time to talk with so many elders and listening to their fascinating stories. People are so kind and very co-operative. Every day is an adventure, I mostly travelled for a day in the hilly road to reached one village to another, sometimes I have to walk 5-6 hours by foot in terrain. One can imagine that the journey must be tiresome. Yes, indeed it was but once you reached the place, your exhaustion just vanishes away in laughter with their fascinating stories and jokes. I never get tired of hearing them.

On 21st December, I came to Longmai (Small town of Rongmei Naga) around 65 Kms from Imphal for an interview instead I conduct group discussion (turn out better than what I originally planned), In the discussion, I was able to gather the detail of village administration system of Rongmei. One of the elder (ex-chairman) narrated about life during 60s. It was so profound that I can still hear his humour as if I am in that hall even after almost three months had passed. It was quite fascinating listening to him. He was the former commander of NNC (Naga revolutionary Army) during the 70s and travelled all the Naga villages which gave him a very good knowledge of Naga life.

At Tamenglong, on the 29th of December, I visited the Raengan, a fortress built during the 18th century. It’s still very difficult to comprehend how they carry such a big stone to uphill. 

I was back to Imphal on 10th of January, 2019 for Nanuh festival at Langthabal Chingkha to observe the practices of traditional religion such as dances, songs, ritual performance and feasting, a festival for the new-born babies in the village. It was one of the most remarkable experience in my fieldwork. They have a beautiful place, colour with beautiful dances in colourful dresses, and a great music. 

Kohima Town (Battle of Kohima)

I also planned to meet Naga political leaders and some social activist to have holistic understanding of Nagas aspiration and their struggle. Therefore, I go up to Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland. Unfortunately, after the interview just before I leave for Imphal, the NESO call for total shutdown throughout the North-eastern States to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the parliament. So, I was stuck there for two days. Taking advantage of the situation, I roam the city, visited the World War II cemetery and the Battle of Kohima where the Indian National Army fought alongside Japanese soldiers against the British force. I was fortunate to stand in the historic tennis court -the only line that divides the two forces. 

I also visited the Cathedral which was built for the memories of Japanese soldiers who were fought and died in the battle. Cathedral is famous because of two things, it was built for the memories of Japanese soldiers with the contribution from the Japanese soldiers who fought in the Battle of Kohima and from the family who were killed in the battle. Secondly, the house is designed in the traditional Naga Morung house design. The Cathedral stands at the heart of Kohima. Most importantly, the Cathedral stands as the symbol of reconciliation, it is where the British, Indian and Japanese meet to remember the War for peace.

“Here at Kohima, in the spring of 1944, Japanese, British and Indian forces fought desperately for Garrison Hill.

Thousands of officers and other ranks were killed in action fighting for their mother country.

‘When you go home tell of us and say

For your tomorrow, we gave our today’.

We firmly believe that this inscription on the monument which stands on Garrison Hill must have been the common thought of the British, Indian and Japanese officers and other ranks who lost their lives, and that they all prayed for the future of their countries, a future of peace and prosperity…”

-Inscription at the gate of Cathedral

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Guangpuanang Kahmei is a PhD student at the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. He is working on the ‘Organisational tradition, change and loss in the Naga tribe of NE India’.

New Scholar joins the Empowering Project

Dr Jaideep Welcome  to the Empowering Project!

Dr.Jaideep is a PhD in Organizational Behaviour from Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. His PhD study was ‘Spirit Centric Leadership Styles for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Study of Indian PSUs’. Dr Jaideep has more than ten years of  experience in teaching and administration. He holds Masters Degree in Business Administration from Uttar Pradesh Technical University with dual specialization in Human Resource & Marketing. 

Dr Jaideep worked as Research Officer in the project entitled Restructuring of Ministry of Home affairs at Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. His interest areas of research include Leadership, Spirituality, CSR, Sustainable Development and Value Based Management. Dr Jaideep has qualified National Eligibility Test conducted by UGC for Lectureship. He was awarded JRF (Junior research Fellowship) and SRF (Senior Research Fellowship) by UGC. He has also published several research papers in various national and international journals. 

Dr Jaideep will be looking into "Soap for Hope" an initiative by "Doctors for You" a nonprofit launched in India in 2016 by Diversey India. His  case study will explore how the work is organised, including how local nonprofits employ underprivileged community members in craft making workshops.

Team Changes and Updates

Unfortunately our colleague Sanatan Tiwari has left the project. However we have recruited a new scholar from the University of Delhi, Faculty of Management Studies. I will post an update about him soon. At the moment he is working on the design of his Case Study to get Ethical Approval.

Four students have already started their fieldwork and are collecting data from interviews and participant observation, using audio recorders, photo and video cameras. Two of them have travelled to remote areas and have successfully returned bringing with them their experiences using audio and visual technologies in areas with limited access to electricity and internet. Soon we will share some of their reflections in this blog.

The Empowering Case Studies

As our Student/Researchers are already working on their fieldworks I thought I could share some details of their work:

Avilasa Sengupta is working on ‘Ecofeminist organisation and earth democracy in food production’: her study focuses on the practices used by a non-profit organization to empower women and the religious/spiritual beliefs that these practices are based on. Methods comprise participant observation and semi-structured interviewing with video recording and photography.

Guangpuanang Kahmei is working on ‘Organisational tradition, change and loss in the Naga tribe of NE India’: his study focuses on the organization of tradition among the Zeliangrong Naga in the Indian state of Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. The study involves a collective storytelling interview session about stories of organisational tradition, change and loss followed by semi-structured interviews and discussions.

Nikhil Kumar is working on ‘Giving voice to unspoken issues of gender through the organization of Street Play Theatre’: Nikhil is looking at street plays which address issues of gender in Indian society, organisations and workplaces. He will attend and watch these plays, which are typically attended by approximately 100-200 people. He will obtain and read the scripts of the plays, video record the play and take photographs. After the play Nikhil will interview performers and members of the audience.

Rohit Shah is working on ‘The enactment of leadership in the Santal tribe of Jharkhand’: he is looking at how leadership is enacted in this community, and the ways in which the tribal religion is invoked to protect the land (Mother Earth). The study explores the tensions arising from the degradation of the environment. The methods used are individual semi-structured interviews which will be recorded and photographed.

Sanatan Tiwari is working on ‘Local government and community responses to farmer suicides in the Maharashtra’: he is exploring how communities make sense of, and respond to, the high incidence of farmer suicides in the Maharashtra. The study will involve qualitative semi-structured interviews with the Sarpanch, elected village representatives of the local government (Panchayat) and other local community leaders.

Sumeet Anand is working on ‘Stories of economic migration told by Uber/Ola drivers in Delhi’: Sumeet will select research participants by taking short Uber/Ola rides and asking drivers briefly where they are from. If they satisfy the criteria for inclusion in the study (i.e. they are economic migrants who originate from other areas of India and not from outside of India) he will invite them to participate. Data collection will take place at a prearranged public meeting place. The method of study will involve life history interviewing combined with portrait photography, where the student will work with participants to determine how they would like to be photographed.

Empowering Mentors

As the student/researchers are going through their training on qualitative research methodologies (see previous post) we have introduced them to their new Mentors. Our Mentors are OU based with experience in carrying out qualitative research.

We have asked Mentors to organise Skype meetings with their Mentees. The purpose of the conversations will be to provide advice and answer the students' questions about doing qualitative research. We have also asked Mentors to share information on their own research if it is relevant to the case studies. The Mentor-Mentee interactions will continue through out the duration of the case studies.

More updates soon.

Empowering Methodologies Video Lectures

Professor Emma Bell and Dr Tim Butcher have filmed a series of 8 Video Lectures as part of a training plan for our Indian Student/Researchers. The Lectures address topics such as Decolonising Research, Indigenous Management Research, Ethnography, Visual Methods and Research Ethics. We hope this material will help and inspire the students to improve the design of their case studies in line with the "Empowering" concepts and to put them into practice.

The Lectures have been uploaded on our (private) Project Space alongside reading material. At the moment the students are watching and reading. But we are also encouraging them to provide feedback on the contents of the lectures. In this way we can start nice discussions that will enhance their learning process.

We would like to thank Sas Amoah, Online Producer, from Open Media and Informal Learning OU, for Filming and Editing the Films for us.

On a related matter, I helped Sas with the editing, watching the videos several times and filling Editing Tables with times for cuts. We have gone through several rounds of editing adding texts and making the videos look good. It was time consuming but an interesting experience. I can say however that the final products are excellent and I expect useful for the students :)