Research Article
Julie E. Volkman, Bianca M. Wolf, Chris R. Morse, Ella Browning, Andrew High, Heather Pond Lacey, Joseph Trunzo, Wendy Samter
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 1-23
ABSTRACT
Undergraduate college-aged students are increasingly experiencing anxiety. Yet, many struggle to cope effectively, resulting in poor school performance and compromised health and well-being. Our goal was to identify common anxiety-inducing and aggravating stressors, as well as preferred adaptive coping strategies, in this exploratory study to inform anxiety intervention development. A total of 19 undergraduate students (17 female and 2 male) were recruited. Students previously diagnosed or treated for anxiety by a clinician participated in a two-week, daily diary entry study. A total of 219 diary entries were transcribed and thematically analyzed for student reports of awareness variables and associated coping responses. Data were compared and triangulated. Framed by cognitive-behavioral approaches to anxiety and the transactional theory of stress and coping, we identified five primary categories of anxiety-inducing or aggravating stressors: academic time management and performance, communication anxiety, competing life stressors, others’ presence and problems, and generalized uncertainty. In addition, we found that students primarily utilized adaptive coping strategies, employing a mix of intrapersonal (e.g., alone time, breaks, hobbies/music, and staying productive) and interpersonal techniques (e.g., hanging out with and talking with friends and family). Findings highlight common anxiety stressors and demonstrate preferred and efficacious coping strategies employed by students, providing valuable insight into best practices for student well-being interventions beyond a clinical setting to manage anxiety and improve student well-being.
Keywords: Anxiety, undergraduate college-age students, coping
Research Article
Michael R. Langlais, Cameron L. Boudreau, Corinne E. Watkins
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 24-43
ABSTRACT
The use of social media in relationships can be beneficial or detrimental for relationship quality depending on the behavior. Although posting photos and sharing one’s relationship status on social media can be beneficial, oversharing information or posting inappropriate content on social media can be bad for relationships. However, these studies have relied on empirical data, without defining what inappropriate or excessive content is. The goal of this study is to understand emerging adults’ perceptions of acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior in a romantic relationship. This qualitative study applied a critical realist epistemological design, recruiting participants between 18-29 who had used social media in their current or previous romantic relationship. Participants in this study participated in one-one-one interviews (N = 41) or one of four focus groups (N = 20), answering questions about what is and is not appropriate social media behavior in romantic relationships. Data was analyzed using coding reliability thematic analysis. Results showed that it is acceptable to post life updates, meaningful relationship events, and partner-approved content. Inappropriate behaviors included posting relationship issues, posting relationships too often, posting provocative pictures, and posting with an ex-partner or rival. It was also suggested that individuals should not post too frequently, overshare relationship information, or post public displays of affection. This study confirms that there are specific online behaviors that could support or disrupt the development and maintenance of romantic relationships. Additional implications for romantic relationships will be discussed.
Keywords: Social media, romantic relationships, posting, critical realist epistemology, coding reliability thematic analysis
Research Article
Chloé Sharp, Sharla Biefeld, Rameet H. Singh, Lily Bayat
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 44-61
ABSTRACT
A central component of a patient’s abortion experience is pain perception and optimization of pain management choices. Yet, data on patients’ experience of pain and their preferences regarding pain strategies are limited and tend to utilize solely quantitative data. This study utilized a qualitative thematic analysis to identify patient priorities, preferences, and expectations for pain management during first-trimester surgical abortion with nitrous oxide or oral sedation. Thirty-one patients seeking a first-trimester surgical abortion, self-selecting inhaled nitrous oxide (NO) (16 patients), or oral sedation (PO) with oxycodone and Ativan (15 patients) enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants provided demographic data, rated procedure pain on a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS), and participated in semi-structured interviews. We analyzed qualitative data using a content analysis approach. Pre-procedure participants wanted a positive experience. Participants endorsed an ideal analgesic as having a quick onset of action, minimal side effects, no addiction potential, and being effective at reducing pain. After the procedure, there we start differences between priorities in NO and PO participants. NO participants valued the resumption of everyday activities, while PO participants desired ongoing anxiolysis. Anticipatory counseling often mitigated higher procedure pain and more medication side effects than anticipated. Participants emphasized that positive interactions with providers/staff significantly improved their abortion experience. Preemptive comprehensive counseling about procedure and analgesic effectiveness, along with providing options for analgesia, will facilitate an affirmative and patient-centered abortion experience.
Keywords: Nitrous oxide, pain management, patient expectations, patient preferences, surgical abortion
Research Article
Chaya M. Abrams
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 62-86
ABSTRACT
Institutional antisemitism is a growing concern across university campuses in the United States of America. Research shows that academic environments do not always welcome Jewish presence and needs. Though contemporary studies examine student lived experiences of antisemitism, few Jewish scholarly perspectives are included in related inquiries. A qualitative Delphi study contributes to this literary gap by sharing Jewish expert consensus on the research question of is institutional antisemitism a problem in the US? Consensus conclusions indicated that (a) institutional antisemitism is often misinterpreted and difficult to define and (b) interpersonal antisemitism is present within Jewish campus interactions. Through theoretical frameworks of critical theory, Afro-pessimism, and study of anti-Blackness, the impacts of Jewish scholar-participants’ identities and experiences on field expertise are discussed. Future campus implications for integrating sociocultural critical theory into Jewish historical trauma education and institutional antisemitism prevention are analyzed.
Keywords: Institutional antisemitism, Delphi study, Jewish historical trauma, critical theory, Afro-pessimism, anti-Blackness
Research Article
Sydney D. Richardson
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 87-108
ABSTRACT
Community leadership has been studied for decades, yet more still needs to be understood about its development among members of an area. While scholars can investigate phenomena from various methodologies and disciplines, there are other methodologies that can help researchers delve deeper into understanding a concept such as this. Narrative case study research with an emphasis on counter-narratives and embodiment is one way to understand community leadership. Through this single holistic narrative case study, I examined how community leadership developed in a low-income and segregated community. The findings of this study focus on four main areas: (1) care work with subthemes such as community leadership among church members and community members, (2) entrepreneurship, and (3) embodiment of the counter-narrative. The insights from this article serve as a way for scholars to identify the emergence of counter-narratives, as well as ways in which counter-narratives can help others learn about community leadership.
Keywords: Community leadership, counter-narratives, embodiment, narrative case study
Research Article
Delaney Glass, Noor Zanial, Mahdi Taye, Siwaar Abouhala, Feda Hammood, Sarah Zeidat, Nadia N. Abuelezam
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 109-131
ABSTRACT
Little is known about vaccine willingness in Arab Americans. It stands to reason that factors such as increased risks of experiencing xenophobia and discrimination and limited social support, particularly among new immigrants, may influence COVID-19 vaccine willingness among Arab Americans. We qualitatively investigate the psychological, social, and physical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Arab Americans and explore how these experiences may have influenced COVID-19 vaccine perceptions and behaviors. We conducted a qualitative study following an interpretivist, inductive paradigm among a subset of Arab Americans (N=23) living in the US between April and July 2021. We identified four broad categories of themes: individual factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine willingness, perceptions of the US government and the public health response, the impact of media on the COVID-19 pandemic and perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine, and perceived COVID-19 severity. COVID-19 vaccine willingness was based on participants’ perception of the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting their health and that of others in their social circle, a work or school requirement, or fulfilling a greater social responsibility. Though our study disproportionately represented those who were vaccine-willing, participants referenced stories about people in their immediate and distal networks who were unwilling to be vaccinated. There are complex connections between individual well-being, community identity and belonging, and health for Arab Americans that deserve additional attention.
Keywords: Arab American, COVID-19, Pandemic, Vaccine Willingness, Public Health, Qualitative Health Research
Research Article
Christa Banton, Jose Abelardo Garza, Alfreda Goods, Tiefa Jones, Lisa Langford
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 132-150
ABSTRACT
When looking at workplace dynamics, especially given the pandemic, we must identify why individuals choose to leave specific fields, such as STEM, specifically computer science. The purpose of this study was to identify the unique belonging experiences of women who specifically work in the technology field. Issues such as the need for belonging, marginalization, workplace culture, imposter syndrome, and allyship affect how women feel connected to their work. Using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach, nine women were interviewed for their unique perspective of belonging in the technological workspace. Within the transcriptions, certain themes were derived from the data, which included (1) lack of belonging in the workspace, (2) lack of trust, and (3) lack of support. However, we also discovered that women can be successful leaders in the technology sector if they receive support from a mentor at work. For the computer science industry to attract and retain female talent, addressing these obstacles and fostering a more inclusive environment is imperative to counter underrepresentation.
Keywords: Belonging, diversity, STEM fields, technology, women, workspace
Research Article
Heath H. Hightower
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 151-177
ABSTRACT
Suicide is a complex, multi-factorial human experience that affects millions of people in the U.S. and disproportionately impacts Black communities every year. Historical data, critical theories, and research literature indicate that Black suicides result from interactions between macrosystemic systemic forces and individual-level meaning-making processes. To explore the complexities among systemic forces and deaths often labelled suicides in contemporary U.S. Black communities, this project centered and elevated the critical perspectives of fourteen Black female clinicians. Because of their marginalized identities, intersectional lived experiences, and clinical training, these participants were well-positioned to analyze and understand the degrees to which suicides in Black communities are associated with oppressive macrosystemic dynamics and/or individual-level psychological factors. Narrative inquiry and thematic analysis underscored the interplay among six thematic characters for critically understanding suicide in Black communities: shame, hopelessness, trauma, racism, systemic problems, and fear. Participants also noted that violence, anger, and guilt shaped their perspectives to a lesser degree. To address these themes’ suicide-potentiating effects on Black communities, I discuss language, research, policy, and psychosocial assessment and intervention implications.
Keywords: Critical suicide studies, intersectionality, Black suicides, critical qualitative research, Black female clinicians
Research Article
Melanie Fant, Sarah Rhoads, Lacretia Carroll
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 178-188
ABSTRACT
Researching vulnerable populations means the researcher has the responsibility to ensure that their voices are magnified. Certain methods should be utilized during recruitment and data collection to garner the trust of your population and be able to capture their experiences accurately. Black postpartum mothers are a unique vulnerable population that involves convenience, patience, and opportunity. During qualitative data collection, many lessons were learned on how to interview them and capture their experiences, but the primary challenge was recruitment. Due to a history of research abuse among Black Americans, many of them have been resistant to research participation. However, due to the recent Black maternal mortality crisis, many Black postpartum mothers felt moved to contribute to this research focus in efforts to help other Black mothers. Race-concordance with the primary investigator also served a great purpose as participants felt more comfortable sharing their experiences. Many were very honest, expressing that they knew their voices would be heard by a black woman. Intentionally adopting the listed qualitative interview technique provided rich qualitative data and empowered Black postpartum mothers to freely share their experiences.
Keywords: Postpartum, methods, black mothers, hypertension, research techniques
Research Article
Sarah L. Hurdman, Hanna Kampman
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 189-213
ABSTRACT
Against the backdrop of increasing urbanization and subsequent disconnection from nature, there has been growing interest in the role that spending time in natural environments can play in promoting well-being. However, most research to date has focused on the health potential of green spaces and neglected the relationship between blue spaces (bodies of inland and coastal water) and well-being outcomes. Studies have shown that spending more time by the sea, or living in close proximity to the coast, is linked with better mental and general health, but have typically neglected to consider how individuals may uniquely experience different types of urban nature. Hence, this study aimed to explore, in-depth, the lived experience of looking out to sea and how it may play a role in well-being. Four self-selected females, living and working in a coastal city, were interviewed using semi-structured techniques. Interviews were recorded and transcribed; and data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results revealed each had a strong and enduring bond with the sea as ‘part of self’, and as transcending the self. Looking out to sea was a multisensory, embodied experience that captivated them in the present, and was perceived to play an important role in the restoration and enhancement of their hedonic and eudemonic well-being. As researchers and policy makers begin to understand potential links between loss of contact with nature and deteriorating public health, better understanding the relationship between the sea and well-being could have significant global value.
Keywords: Blue space, sea, well-being, embodiment, nature connection
Research Article
Caryl Josette Vamenta, Joanna Mackie
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 214-236
ABSTRACT
Family caregiving affects many families in the United States, including new parents, adult children caring for elders, and family members caring for relatives with temporary or permanent healthcare needs. While previous studies have focused on various aspects of caregiving, little research attention focuses on adolescent caregivers. The role of caregivers within a family may include assistance with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and medication management, and some tasks and expected time commitments may be inappropriate for adolescents and hinder their socio-emotional development. When care recipients have a condition that requires an elevated level of care, such as autism spectrum disorder, the burden on adolescent caregivers may be exacerbated. Guided by Family Systems Theory, this study explores how the emotional boundaries of adolescent caregivers are affected when their sibling has been clinically diagnosed with autism. Potential participants were identified through social networks and interviewed in a semi-structured interview. Findings show that emotional boundaries were affected by the themes of individual actions and family support, partially aligning with our hypothesis that emotional autonomy and self-efficacy could impact caregivers’ emotional boundaries. Findings suggest that support-based intervention and public policies may mitigate enmeshed behaviors in families and relieve the caregiving burden for adolescents. Further research should aim to identify specific interventions and supports for adolescent caregivers, establishing appropriate boundaries around their caregiving tasks, meeting societal expectations by completing school, and providing support for longer-term personal goals, such as a career and family.
Keywords: Caregivers, adolescents, parentification, cohesion, enmeshment
Research Article
Cheryl Moore, Rajkamal Kesharwani
AM J QUALITATIVE RES, Volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 237-260
ABSTRACT
Organizations can spend exorbitant amounts on employee engagement and turnover only to experience high employee turnover and low employee engagement. Researchers have found numerous organizational behaviors that impede an employee’s ability to perform to their abilities and remain engaged in their job function, as well as remain aligned with the goals of the organization. The purpose of this qualitative, transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of manufacturing employees who had witnessed workplace bullying and the meaning they ascribed to their bullying experience and management’s efforts in combating workplace bullying. Data were collected using a formal, semi-structured interview approach with eighteen participants who represented current or former employees of eleven different manufacturing firms in Northwestern, Pennsylvania. Five essences were revealed from the data, and three stages were further investigated. The three stages (the experience, the reaction, and the personal effect) suggested that the bystanders endured emotional turmoil both psychologically and physiologically towards the workplace bullying act they witnessed. The research findings further suggest that the participants defined their experience as a determinant of engagement with the organization and management. The bystanders viewed bullying as a shortcoming in leadership, as many participants shared their expectations that management must address the bullying situations to ensure a safe, comfortable working environment for all employees.
Keywords: Workplace bullying, bystanders, workplace aggression, organizational effects, employee engagement