Data were collected between July 2021 and April 2022. Data collection included three semistructured in-depth individual interviews (IDIs), with lengths ranging from 1 h 30 m to 2 h 15 m. In-depth individual interviews were conducted via WhatsApp video call at a time that suited the participant. Mobile data bundles were provided to participants prior to our conversations. One semistructured focus group discussion (FGD) of 4 h 20 m was also conducted, with an additional three caregivers. During the focus group, the author sat in a room with a two meter distance between each person, on chairs that had been sanitised. Each person wore an N95 mask and used hand sanitiser repeatedly. Due to the aforementioned ethical constraints on in-person research mandated by the Stellenbosch University Research Ethics Committee for Social, Educational and Behavioural Research [REC: SBE], data collection was only conducted in English, as it was not possible to work with an interpreter. English was not the participants’ first language, but conversations to arrange times and to build rapport were conducted with each participant before and after data collection. All participants expressed themselves fluently, both verbally and in writing, and also confirmed that they were comfortable speaking in English on the informed consent forms they were provided with prior to data collection activities.
Although the author did not communicate in the participants’ first language, all participants commented that the time had gone quickly and that they had enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to talk about their lives, indicating that this was a positive experience for them. In the single instance during the FGD where one participant was unsure of the English word for a concept she wanted to express, she asked one of the other participants, who translated from isiXhosa for her, suggesting that she felt comfortable enough to ask her peers if she was unsure of anything. The three FGD participants had shared transport to the venue and were already friendly by the time they arrived. They shared jokes and commiserated with one another. This contributed to a relaxed environment, in which deeply personal narratives were quickly and openly shared. The participants all joked with and teased the author too, suggesting that a comfortable space was co-created in which the power differentials were not erased but were, hopefully, minimised. It is not possible to be certain, but it is not clear that the presence of a translator would necessarily have made participants more comfortable, as the additional person in the room may also have been perceived as a silent or judgemental witness.
All data collection and verbatim transcription were conducted by the author. Transcription served as initial data familiarisation, and repeated analytical reviews of the written transcripts allowed for the identification of common themes. Themes were discussed with a senior colleague, who also reviewed the penultimate and final drafts of this article. Analysis for this article was primarily deductive, and codes were drawn from questions relating to the original research project objectives. These codes were applied to IDI and FGD data. The results presented here focus only on the data that corresponded with these codes, which included eligibility rules for the CDG; caregivers’ experiences of the process of gaining access to and receiving the CDG; their beliefs about the purpose of the CDG; and its actual uses in their households. Forthcoming publications will provide additional insights into their experiences of life, caregiving and relationships with their children with disabilities.
Although the author did not communicate in the participants’ first language, all participants commented that the time had gone quickly and that they had enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to talk about their lives, indicating that this was a positive experience for them. In the single instance during the FGD where one participant was unsure of the English word for a concept she wanted to express, she asked one of the other participants, who translated from isiXhosa for her, suggesting that she felt comfortable enough to ask her peers if she was unsure of anything. The three FGD participants had shared transport to the venue and were already friendly by the time they arrived. They shared jokes and commiserated with one another. This contributed to a relaxed environment, in which deeply personal narratives were quickly and openly shared. The participants all joked with and teased the author too, suggesting that a comfortable space was co-created in which the power differentials were not erased but were, hopefully, minimised. It is not possible to be certain, but it is not clear that the presence of a translator would necessarily have made participants more comfortable, as the additional person in the room may also have been perceived as a silent or judgemental witness.
All data collection and verbatim transcription were conducted by the author. Transcription served as initial data familiarisation, and repeated analytical reviews of the written transcripts allowed for the identification of common themes. Themes were discussed with a senior colleague, who also reviewed the penultimate and final drafts of this article. Analysis for this article was primarily deductive, and codes were drawn from questions relating to the original research project objectives. These codes were applied to IDI and FGD data. The results presented here focus only on the data that corresponded with these codes, which included eligibility rules for the CDG; caregivers’ experiences of the process of gaining access to and receiving the CDG; their beliefs about the purpose of the CDG; and its actual uses in their households. Forthcoming publications will provide additional insights into their experiences of life, caregiving and relationships with their children with disabilities.
Free full text: Click here
