Sponsored Vocational Training: Dream of Escape or Reality - Solwodi

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Efficacy of SOLWODI’s Vocational Training Scheme 17 find those clients I had identified in my list. Women moved away and broke off ties with SOLWODI, they disappeared. It became clear that ‘disappearing’ is a common phenomenon. SOLWODI aims for empowered clients, who will no longer need their services after successfully being rehabilitated. With the benefit of hindsight, it is suggested that either more time in the fieldwork should be allowed or SOLWODI could have tried to locate and contact trainees prior. 4. Reliability and Validity Shaver argues that the problem of reliability and validity derives from the stigma of Sex Work: manufactured, i.e. standardised answers might be given due to concerns about anonymity, out of the need to protect the identity of the respondent, to reflect a politically correct version of reality, or the participants might say what they think that the researcher wants to hear (Shaver, 2005: 297). Some clients tried to balloon their stories by telling negative fairy tales about their lives. A way of ensuring maximisation is by using triangulation, i.e. combining multiple methods within one study. Additionally, with the assistance of a social worker and by always cross checking with existing documents, I attempted to enhance the reliability of the information received. Case studies usually face a generalisation problem. (McQueen, 2002: 13). Generalisation is also known as external validity. The purpose of the case study on hand is not about NGOs and VT programmes in general, but about SOLWODI and its initiative in particular. Generalising runs the risk of reinforcing the existing stereotypes and victimising or demonising the whole group (Shaver, 2005). This was kept foremost in mind. I take the stance that women’s experiences are individual and personal. This, of course, does not mean that general themes are not found in the women’s accounts and experiences. With hindsight, for quality control, a second interviewer could have repeated the interviews. Elmore-Meegan and his colleagues did so and found that none of the repeat interviews revealed any important discrepancies (Elmore-Meegan, 2004: 51). Unfortunately some questionnaires were filled with the help of a SOLWODI social worker, producing synchronized and standardised comments. It is recommendable that questionnaires were written by the young women solitary. 5. Miscellaneous Minor Challenges Wedgwood and Hammett’s (2005: 10) advice to use ‘both belt and braces’ was followed
Efficacy of SOLWODI’s Vocational Training Scheme 18 to tackle the lingual complications. I studied sufficient Swahili, the national language in Kenya to at least conduct ‘small talk’ and, additionally asked for support of native speakers when needed. One key informant and friend, Maria, acted as my local director of research, i.e. assistant, overseer and translator (Kaufmann, 2002: 251). Nevertheless, it is suspected that much can be lost in translation – culturally, linguistically, socially and intellectually (Jansen, 2005: 22). Secondly, I was not considered to be an insider. Insiderism claims that you must be a true member of the specific group in order to understand the context. However, the opposite can be argued quoting Max Weber’s memorable phrase ‘one need not be Caesar in order to understand Caesar’. According to Blaikie (2000: 242), qualitative methods allow the researcher to become an insider and to discover the social actors’ culture and worldviews. Many ethnographers, also e.g. Barley talk about the pivotal moment in which they feel as if they had been accepted in the society being studied (Barley: 1983). About halfway through the fieldwork time, two SOLWODI social workers and a young client mutually agreed that I am ‘an African’. I felt that this was my pivotal moment. Thirdly, there is the belief of being objective as a researcher. But also Agar and Mies advocate that the issue is not whether someone is biased, rather which types of biases are present. Researchers bring their own cultural baggage to the setting and value free research has to be replaced by conscious partiality (Agar, 1996: 91; Mies, 1993: 68). The most immediate need is to be explicit about personal values, professional assumptions and to be reflexive, linking the idea of self to the process (Agar, 1996: 91).
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Sponsored Vocational Training: Dream of Escape or Reality - Solwodi

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