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METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
This chapter presents issues on research methodology which the researcher intends to use so as to arrive at genuine results. It focuses on the following: research design, research methods and instruments, assurance of validity and reliability of research instruments, area of study, population, target population, sample size and sampling techniques, data collection procedure, data processing and analysis, and ethical considerations.
3.1 Research Design
The research will embrace qualitative research design. Bhandari, P. (2020), explains this design as, a qualitative research is a method that focuses on understanding concepts, opinions, or experiences through non-numerical data like text, video, or audio, aiming to gain insights into human behavior and cultural values. It was chosen for this study because the researcher aims at academically studying and understanding behaviours involved in “Edukone” among Iteso.
The study will also use phenomenological approach. According to Mckoy, s. (2023), Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach that seeks to describe the essence or core meaning of a phenomenon through the lived experiences of individuals who have directly encountered it.
This approach will help the researcher in his study to describe the essence or core meaning of a phenomenon by exploring the lived experiences of individuals who have directly encountered the phenomenon of Edukone in Teso.
3.2 Specific research methods
3.2.1 Structured interviews
In structured interviews, the questions and their sequence are prearranged, according to Abwai, K. (2017). If more clarification is required, you can offer it by providing more explanations for your questions and by asking respondents to elaborate on their responses. This constitutes your supplementary intervention if responses are quite vague (Probing).
Basing on such an ideology, this method is chosen for this study because it is hoped that the elderly men in this age group are illiterate, if not, some have complications that have affected their sense of sight. Therefore, by conducting structured interviews, they can easily respond to the questions asked.
Secondly, structured interviews shall allow the researcher to ask more probing questions that will allow the informant to speak out his or her experience at depth to enable deeper analysis of their experiences on traditional marriage rituals.
Last but not least, structured interviews is hoped to ensure consistency among informants. This is because the researcher shall have predetermined questions that all informants are to be asked following the same order and pace.
3.2.2 Focus group discussions
According to centers for disease control and prevention (2018), Focus groups are made up of six to twelve persons who are interviewed together and have comparable traits or interests. The group is led by a facilitator using a prearranged list of themes.
The facilitator fosters an atmosphere where people feel comfortable expressing their opinions and viewpoints. Focus group is a qualitative approach of gathering data, which means that the information is descriptive and not quantitatively quantifiable.
The investigator hopes to use this method for elderly women who have participated on traditional marriage rituals.
It is suitable for this category of informants because the researcher presumes that, as elderly women, there is a high chance of some of them being illiterate since education of a girl child was not valued in the early 1950s, a time when these women were young.
Secondly, putting these elderly women together will make them reflect upon their traditional way of life in relation to marriage, recall those experiences, consult each other in case any forgets due to memory loss. Others can be able to remind the other and correct her hence accurate information will be recorded.
Thirdly, focus group, will allow the elderly women to discuss their experiences freely. These kind of memories when discussed in a group enables each person to divulge her experience as purposeful fun, this boosts the discussion well.
3.2.3 Observation method
According to Kumar, A. (2022), the observation method is defined as a way to watch and characterize a subject’s activity. It starts with the simple act of seeing the phenomenon until a suspicion or insight is realized. Observation is the process of observing study participants or situations.
Non-participant observation will be used in this investigation. According to the Dictionary of Sociology. Retrieved February 21, 2024, Non-participant observation is a research technique whereby the researcher watches the subjects of his or her study, with their knowledge, but without taking an active part in the situation under scrutiny. Therefore, Non Participant Observation is deemed necessary for this study because it will enable the researcher to keenly observe all observable behaviour, situations, articles/objects, places etc. at execution of rituals.
Non Participant Observation also helps the researcher to take photos, videos and record any necessary information about traditional marriage rituals.
3.3 Study area
The study will be delimited to “Usuk sub county, Katakwi district, Teso sub region in Uganda”. This is because Usuk County harbors the largest shrine in Teso sub region. The shrine is called “Atuket Okolimo”. According to oral tradition, Okolimo, was a legendary diviner, who at a time when some Iteso settled in Usuk, helped that community in the acts of divination. This particular place where he performed divination came to be named “Atuket”. This means a place where people gather.
When he died, the surviving Iteso referred that place as “Atuket Okolimo” which means a sacred place where Okolimo’s people gather.
This shrine influences the lives of natives both culturally and religiously more so the community around this shrine. They perform most cultural practices in this shrine. For instance, all male Iteso who want initiation go there yearly. Some people also go to this place to ask for blessings for child bearing, good harvest, rain and general safety.
Therefore, it is hoped that conducting a study in this traditional community shall provide a rich cultural and religious experience of traditional marriage rituals since a majority of them have a strong adherence to those religio-cultural practices than any other part in Teso.
3.4 Study population and samplings
3.4.1 Target population
The target population for this study is Iteso living in Usuk Sub County, Katakwi district. They have been chosen for this study because they form a community whose lifestyle is influenced more by beliefs that radiate from the “Atuket Okolimo”, the popular shrine. Therefore, this community engages more, in religious and cultural practices in a more traditional way compared to Iteso of other districts in the region.
3.4.2 Study sample
It is hoped that elders both men and women of fifty years and above shall be used for this study. The researcher hopes that by using mature people of this age group, she will get credible and dependable information. This is because these elders possess this traditional experience.
By virtue of being elders, they are the chief custodians of Iteso’s tradition now and they continue to officiate in cultural ceremonies e.g. performance of traditional marriage rituals and others. It is also hoped that these elders are culturally seasoned, approachable and shall be willing to share their experience with the researcher.
3.4.3 Sample size
The researcher shall use the principal of saturation to determine the sample size for the study. Saturation is generally employed in qualitative research as a criterion for stopping data collection and/or analysis, according to Saunders, B. et al. (2018). Thus, to put it simply, saturation is the point at which informants start providing material that is comparable. When this point is reached, there will be no need of continuing to interview more yet they are giving similar responses. So, the number interviewed at the point of saturation shall be the sample size.
3.5 Population sampling techniques
3.5.1 Purposive sampling
Nikolopoulou, K (2022), Purposive sampling is a non-probability sampling strategy where units are chosen based on the qualities you require in your sample. Put another way, purposive sampling involves the “on purpose” selection of units. This technique is deemed suitable for sampling elders and religious leaders who are going to be key informants in this study. This is because the two categories of informants possess qualities of those who have experience on traditional marriage rituals and so, they can easily share with others this kind of information.
3.5.2 Convenient sampling
Opportunity sampling is another name for convenience sampling, according to Cleave, P. (2023). It is the most typical kind of non-probability sampling, he continues. Its main objective is to obtain data from the most practical and reachable participant samples. By employing this sample technique on older people, the researcher intends to make it easier to find them at social events, recreational places, etc. As such, they are able to freely impart their knowledge.
3.6 Research instruments
3.6.1 Interview guide
It is a form in which the interviewer will ask the respondents pre-planned, structured questions covering all three themes that are drawn from the particular study objectives. It will be specifically prepared for male elders. This is because of the high probability that for such a rural setting, and given the age group, some elders might be found illiterate or having challenges with the sight or may not be having time to sit and fill the questionnaires.
3.6.3 Focus group discussion schedule
It is a structured form comprising of guiding questions carefully selected to cover all the three research questions. The questions are hoped to provoke elderly women to speak out their experiences on traditional marriage rituals as a group freely. It is for elderly women because it will enable easy collection of data from a group since respondents are brought to participate at once as a group.
3.6.4 Observation schedule
It will be tabulated consisting of key elements such as time, activity, practitioners and behaviour portrayed that the researcher shall consider when observing proceedings of marriage rituals among Iteso.
3.7 Data collection procedure
Having passed in Proposal defence, I will request graduate school to give me an introductory letter. This letter shall identify me as a student of Kyambogo University who is conducting academic study on “The religious connotation of Edukone among the Iteso”. Once, I am served with this letter, it is a sign that I have been cleared to go for data collection.
From that step, I will travel to Katakwi district where the study will be conducted. I intend to stay in Katakwi for 2 weeks so as to have enough time to interact with the informants. Since I am not a born of Katakwi, in the first two days, I will identify a competent teacher whom I will brief and he guides me to reach the popular shrine “Atuket Okolimo” to see how some of the rituals are performed.
Before reaching the shrine and actual data collection, I will conduct a pilot study to test the validity of my research tools. I will get a small number of elders that will participate in the pilot study. In case anomalies are identified in the tools, I will correct them before actual data collection.
When it comes to actual data collection, I will seek guidance to reach to the local council 1 chairperson of every village that I will reach. The LC1 is intended to ensure my informants’ safety and to provide me authorization to carry out this academic investigation within his purview. Each time I encounter a new LC, in a new village, I will clearly explain the purpose of my study to him/her so as to clear doubts about my work and enable informants to be free with me. Once that is done, then I will embark on actual data collection.
I will be moving round interviewing elders through structured interviews and focussed group discussions. For any observable character that relates to what observation guide requires, it will be recorded.
Each time data is collected, the researcher shall make its analysis before going to the field the next day.
When the researcher is done with data collection, she will return to the university to compile the whole report which will be presented to graduate School of Kyambogo University for a ward of a Masters degree.
3.8 Data presentation
The qualitative data got through specific methods discussed above will be presented using description. The researcher will provide clear and comprehensive explanations and interpretation of the data, highlighting key themes, patterns, and insights related to the traditional marriage rituals as sought by the specific objectives.
3.9 Data analysis
For the qualitative data collected through the tools discussed above, the researcher will use thematic analysis approach. According to Caulfield, J (2019), thematic analysis is a technique for analyzing qualitative data in which the researcher carefully examines the data to find recurring themes, subjects, concepts, and patterns of meaning. In order to fully comprehend the qualitative data that was gathered, the researcher will code the data, group the codes into themes, and analyze the content.
3.10 Validity and Reliability of Instruments
According to Haradhan, K. M (2017), Reliability and validity are the two most important and fundamental features in the evaluation of any measurement, instrument or tool for a good research. Validity concerns with what an instrument measures, and how well it does so. Reliability concerns with the faith that one can have in the data obtained from the use of an instrument, that is, the degree to which any measuring tool controls for random error. Therefore, Validity in my tools shall be ensured by pretesting research tools to ascertain any anomalies before actual data collection. This will be done by doing pilot study with some small group of elders who are expected to be key informants. Reliability, shall be ensured by adhering to research ethics.
3.11 Ethical consideration
Pritha, B (2021), explains that, ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices. Researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from people in order to understand real-life phenomena.
Consequently, throughout my research, I intend to observe the following ethical considerations: Voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, avoiding potential for harm and results communication.
