A phenomenological researcher investigating unpaid caring for friends and family in the UK would take a perspective focused on understanding the lived experience of unpaid carers. The research question guiding this phenomenological inquiry could be: “What are the core lived experiences of those providing unpaid care for friends and family and how do they understand their caregiving?” Phenomenological research attempts to explore the subjective meaning of an experience, focusing on the nature of the phenomenon (Cunningham et al., 2022). The sample population of this study would be unpaid carers from various backgrounds, taking into account age, gender, and the level of care. Data collection would entail in-depth semi-structured interviews that would allow participants to share their experiences freely. The interviews would touch on the day-to-day struggles, emotional components, and the effects of caregiving on their lives.
Furthermore, diversity would be prioritized throughout the participant recruitment process to ensure a comprehensive representation of the unpaid caregiver community, considering differences in socioeconomic status, cultural background, and geographic location. This inclusion is aimed at broadening the phenomenological study by capturing various perspectives. The in-depth, semi-structured interviews would be undertaken in a supportive and empathic way, creating a relaxed environment that would allow participants to disclose their complicated experiences freely. Apart from looking at the practical issues of unpaid caregivers’ journeys, researchers would delve into the emotional aspects of their trips. An analysis of the impacts of caring on relationships, goals and personal well-being is used better to understand the nature of the unpaid caregiving experience. This approach that focuses on the study of subjectivities and the surrounding forces that influence those subjectivities is in line with phenomenological perspectives (Cunningham et al., 2022). The research seeks to uncover the core meaning structures underpinning informal caregiving for friends and family in the UK using in-depth narratives.
In the phenomenological analysis, common themes and patterns would be identified from the participants’ narratives. Researchers would go through the process of bracketing and putting aside preconceptions to attain an objective interpretation. The analysis would aim to unveil the core structures of the lived realities, highlighting the intricacies and diversities within the caregiving phenomenon. Moreover, the phenomenological analysis would use a strict method of data saturation and condensation (Cunningham et al., 2022). Researchers would plunge into the raw data, transcribing and repeatedly listening to the interviews to understand the depth of participants’ experiences. By repeating this process, recurring themes and patterns would surface, pointing out the commonalities of the caregiving phenomenon. The most important method of bracketing would be at the center of the preservation of the integrity of the analysis. Researchers would intentionally put aside their preconceptions and assumptions, recognising the power they may have on the interpretation. This disciplined approach seeks to guarantee that the data is explored without bias, enabling the lived realities of unpaid carers to emerge organically. In addition, the analysis would not be limited to the identification of superficial themes but would also reveal the core structures of lived experiences. The study aims to capture the intricacies and diversities within the caregiving phenomenon, thereby providing a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the various ways through which individuals manage and make meaning of their unpaid caregiving roles for friends and family in the UK.
A discursive psychologist researching unpaid caring for friends and family in the UK would focus on interpretative repertoires, subject positions, and ideological dilemmas embedded in the discourses of care. The overarching research question guiding this discursive project could be: “What are the unpaid caring discourses, how are identities and roles constructed and negotiated in them, and what ideological dilemmas emerge in these constructions?” The research method for this discursive project would include interviews or focus groups where participants discuss their experiences as unpaid carers. The selected approach is consistent with the discursive psychology approach, focusing on language and discourse as tools for constructing and negotiating identities. On the other hand, the researcher can analyze media texts, for instance, articles or social media conversations, to identify dominant discourses in societal stories about unpaid caregiving.
The researcher could choose to conduct interviews or focus groups where the participants narrate their experiences and perceptions about unpaid care. Instead, the analysis of media texts, including articles, blog posts, and social media posts, related to caregiving might reveal societal discourses. This conforms to the discursive psychology focus on language and discourse, which is a fundamental aspect of identity construction (Powell et al., 2020). In addition, the choice between using interviews or focus groups as data-gathering techniques originates from the discursive psychology focus on how language influences and reflects individual experiences. These interactive modalities provide opportunities for the examination of common discourses, allowing the participants to co-construct meanings and negotiate identities in real-time conversations. The transient character of interviews and focus groups fits the shifting nature of discursive practices, revealing the changing intricacies of unpaid caring stories.
On the contrary, an analysis of media texts like articles, blogs, or social media posts expands the data collection. Such an analysis of these public discourses enables the researcher to access wider societal stories on caregiving. The analysis of media texts supplements personal views acquired through interviews or focus groups, providing a holistic account of how the discourses of unpaid caring are distributed and contested in various communicative spaces.
The benefits of using a discursive approach in researching unpaid caring are related to the revelation of power relations, societal values, and shared meanings embedded in language. Discursive psychology opens space to reveal how identities are discursively constructed and negotiated in real-life conversations, exposing the social environment that determines unpaid caregiving discourses (Powell et al., 2020). In addition, the strength of the discursive approach lies in the ability to uncover hidden power relations and social norms embedded in language. Through analyzing interpretative repertoires and subject positions, researchers can reveal hidden power relations that determine the formation of discourses on unpaid caring. The analysis of how language is used to communicate meanings other than those intended also reveals not only the current social norms but also the power relations in the discourse of caregiving. Nevertheless, the research faces some limitations, particularly bias related to language interpretation and focus on language as the primary data source. Indeed, this happens as a result of ignoring non-verbal communication factors.
References
Cunningham, E., Christie, F., & Antoniadou, M. (2022). Using phenomenology in careers research: student experiences of unpaid work. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 50(4), 647-659.
Powell, A., Langford, R., Albanese, P., Prentice, S., & Bezanson, K. (2020). Who cares for carers? How discursive constructions of care work marginalized early childhood educators in Ontario’s 2018 provincial election. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 21(2), 153-164.
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