|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
|
`I'm like you': establishing and protecting a common ground in focus groups with Huntington disease caregivers
Janet K. Williams
College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, IA, USA, janet-williams@ uiowa.edu
Lioness Ayres
College of Nursing, The University of Iowa, IA, USA
Focus group research reflects content contributed by participants and the influence of interactions among participants. Analysis of interactions provides insights into focus group dynamics and the contextual meaning of focus group topics. The aim of this report is to analyse interactions that establish or protect a common ground in focus groups of family members caring for adults with Huntington disease (HD). HD tends to stigmatise persons with the disease, as well as their families. Thus, many of the topics in these groups were sensitive. Establishing a common ground was of paramount importance to group members. Participants used interactional processes that combined validations and challenges across assertions of knowledge or expertise, and disclosure of personally painful or socially sanctioned thoughts or feelings. Participants couched their contributions in ways that established similarity with others and when disagreements arose, group members developed processes to sustain their common ground. These behaviours served to facilitate group solidarity and may have influenced the information provided by group members. Awareness of interactions to facilitate maintenance of a common ground allows leaders to recognise the importance of such interactions for the group's functioning, and provides insights for researchers into meanings of focus group findings.
Key Words: qualitative research • focus groups • sensitive topics • Huntington disease • focus group leader
References
- Connelly, L.M., Mark, D.D. (2005) Complexity in focus group research: analyzing group effect. Presentation at MNRS annual conference, Cincinnati, OH.
- Duggleby, W. (2005) What about focus group interaction data? Qualitative Health Research 15: 832—840.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
- Evers-Kieboom, G., Swerts, A., Cassimann, J., Van den Berghe, H. (1989) The motivation of at risk individuals and their partners in deciding for or against predictive testing for Huntington's disease. Clinical Genetics 35: 29—40[Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Goffman, E. (1963) Stigma: Notes on the Management of a Spoiled Identity. Englewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
- Hyden, L.-C., Bulow, P.H. (2003) Who's talking: drawing conclusions from focus groups-some methodological considerations. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 6: 4, 305—321.[CrossRef]
- Ivanoff, S.D., Hultberg, J. (2006) Understanding the multiple realities of everyday life: basic assumptions in focus-group methodology. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 13: 125—132.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Kavanaugh, K., Ayres, L. (1998) Not as bad as it could have been: assessing and mitigating harm during research interviews on sensitive topics. Research in Nursing and Health 21: 91—97.[CrossRef]
- Kenen, R.H., Ardem-Jones, A., Eeles, R. (2006) Social separation among women under 40 years of age diagnosed with breast cancer and carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Journal of Genetic Counseling 15: 3, 149—162.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Krueger, R.A. (1998) Moderating Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
- Lee, R.M., Renzetti, C.M. (1990) The problems of researching sensitive topics: an overview and introduction. American Behavioral Scientist 33: 510—528.[Free Full Text]
- Lehoux, P., Poland, B., Daudelin, G. (2006) Focus group research and `the patent's view'. Social Science and Medicine 63: 2091—2104.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Morgan, D.L. (1988) Focus Groups as Qualitative Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
- Oldenburg, A., Williams, J.M., Maas, M., Tripp-Reimer, T. (2007) Focus group process: analysis of group interactions and participant insights. Innovative technology: pioneering pathways to health. Midwest Nursing Research Society 2007 Annual Conference Proceedings, 99
- Penziner, E., Williams, J.K., Erwin, C., Wallis, A., Bombard,Y., Beglinger, L.J., Hayden, M.R., Paulsen, J.S. (2007) Perceptions of discrimination among persons who have undergone predictive testing for Huntington's disease. American Jourmal of Medical Genetics, in press.
- Rosenblatt, A., Ranen, N.G., Nance, M.A., Paulsen, J.S. (1999) A Physician's Guide to the Management of Huntington's Disease, 2nd edn, New York: The Huntington Disease Society of America.
- Rothstein, M.A.,Talbott, M.K. (2007) Compelled disclosure of health information: protecting against the greatest potential threat to privacy. Journal of the American Medical Association 295: 2882—2885.
- Webb, S., Kevern, J. (2001) Focus groups as a research method: a critique of some aspects of their use in nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing 33: 798—805.[CrossRef][Medline]
[Order article via Infotrieve]
- Wilkinson, C.E., Rees, C.E., Knight, L.V. (2007) From the heart of my bottom: Negotiating humor in focus group discussions. Qualitative Health Research 17: 411—422.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
Journal of Research in Nursing, Vol. 12, No. 6,
655-664 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1744987107083514
 CiteULike  Complore  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
J. K. Williams, L. Ayres, J. Specht, K. Sparbel, and M. L. Klimek
Caregiving by Teens for Family Members With Huntington Disease
Journal of Family Nursing,
August 1, 2009;
15(3):
273 - 294.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
