Content area
Full Text
1 Introduction
The underlying principle of this research paper is that emancipation can be advanced through understanding and challenging social discourses that support restrictive power relations. In order to advance this premise, the collection of in-depth data is necessary. This paper outlines a research process that was employed to collect and analyze appropriate data for this type of analysis.
Section 1 explores the theoretical framework of the study that is feminist, emancipatory and post-structuralist. The importance of social discourses in defining the women's sense of self and their resistance of social discourses as a potential means for social change and possible movement toward increased emancipation is explored.
Section 2 explains the research methodology. This study was carried out using a case study ethnographic approach where I spent a significant amount of time with a small number of participants. The effect of the personal views and positionality of the interviewer as well as the effect of the interplay between the researcher and the participants on the date collection and analysis are explored.
In Section 3, I discuss the methods used for data collection. The interviews were unstructured discussions where the participants were asked open-ended questions and encouraged to move the conversations into their interest areas.
Section 4 addresses the method of analysis of the research data using discourse analysis. I explain the importance of language and the use of discourse analysis and its applicability to feminist post-structuralist research.
1.1 Feminist post-structuralist lens
This research study was framed by a broad definition of feminism focusing on identifying, resisting and challenging restrictive patriarchal power relations. This research encompassed the ideology of Harding (cited in [22] Lather, 1992) regarding feminist research where the research was not only about women but was designed to help women as well. Consequently, one of the aims of the research was to explore the discourses that restrict the freedom of choice of the women in the study and the ways that women begin to resist or challenge them.
Post-structuralist theory proposes that there is no absolute truth ([17] Gavey, 1989) and instead suggests that all identities are transient and relative. Researchers cannot discover a real or authentic personality since the self is produced differently depending on the discursive environment ([15] Francis, 2002). The importance...