Thematic Analysis: Concept and Practice in Phenomenological Method of Research

What is Thematic Analysis? 

Its Application in Phenomenological Research

Anthropology deals with human life in respect to the reality of their time, space and context. In social anthropology, sociology and other social sciences, there are various method of study and analyze anthropological data or qualitative data.

Phenomenology:

Phenomenology is the study of appearances or social reality or experiences. The term phenomenology is the combination of two words called, phenomena which means something that appears and logos which means to study, so it is the study of something that appears. It does not exist in anywhere else apart from our experience. When knowledge is attached with phenomenology it appears as a structure of epistemology and qualitative data analysis.

Ø  Phenomenology has an epistemological framework, how a particular thing should be understood and how experiences has to be known is the basic concern of the phenomenology.

Ø  It also involves tracing the history.

 In this study in the 1^st level we try to break the phenomena and collect its constituent parts and in the 2^nd level we do analysis when we try to understand which actually there is in reality? The later one is the level of conscious performing , we have to be very careful and to be alert  to find out the reality because reality is not real all the time, sometime it is framed in respect to its context or situation.  In order to know the reality, the true essence we have to do the thematic analysis of the phenomena, which includes the 3^rd level of the study.

Ø  The main moto of the phenomenological study is to understand the phenomena

Ø  To receive the experience in real sense, where the experiences should be understood with alertness and consciousness

The thematic analysis can be done in both inductive or deductive approach.

Thematic Analysis:

Thematic Analysis is one of the method of analysing qualitative data in anthropology, sociology and other social sciences.

Ø  Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analysing and reporting of patterns (themes) within the data.

Ø  It minimally organises the data  and helps it to describe the data relating to its various aspects.

Ø  It does not related to any one particular theoretical framework.

General step for Thematic Analysis:

1.      Getting familiarize with the data

2.      Generating codes

3.      Generating the theme

4.      Reviewing potential theme.

5.      Defining the label and

6.      Producing the report

Steps for Phenomenological Thematic Analysis:

1.      Choose a topic that can be understood in terms of its experience.

2.      Identify the research questions that are suitable for phenomenological research considering to a people experience about something

3.      Identify a phenomena you are interested to study and describe

4.      Distinguish and specify the broad philosophical assumption

5.      Collect data from individual who has experienced the phenomena by using in depth interview (in case of more than one individual, multiple interviews can be take up)

6.      Transcribe the interview and generate theme of analysis, which is called as thematic analysis.

7.      Report the essence of the phenomena which was investigated using complete description. Give your insight into epistemological reflection to the phenomena.

8.      Prepare a final report in regards to challenge and limitations.

The analysis can be both semantic (explicating themes or language) or latent (finding out the assumptions hidden in the theme) in nature.

STUDENT’S ADJUSTMENT TO A NEW SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT

A Qualitative Thematic Analysis on Socio-cultural Adjustment 

Education is one of the basic need in our daily social life. It has significant roles to play almost in every context of our life. Now a days, to get more and broader exposure students runs one place to another place for education purpose. Students leave their home and stay abroad just because of their higher education and other aspirations. In the present day context a student face many psychological, physiological and socio-cultural issues while going out from home for the first time and live in hostel or paying guest at new city life. This could be a major concern that what are the various kinds of issues that a student face and what are the strategies they take up for coping up with the situation. Thematic analysis can be applied on this respect which will provide a basic thematic background of the issues faced by the student while living out of home and various strategies in respect to their changing and new socio-cultural and environmental context.

Phenomena of the study:  Student’s Adaptation to New Environment

Research Question:

What are the issues faced by the student in new environmental context ?   and

What are the various strategies taken by the student to cope up the changing situation ?  

Observation and Analysis:

Participant’s profile:

Sex – Female; Age – 25

Interview:

Researcher:      When and why did you went abroad for your higher education?

Participant:       I went to Delhi, when I was 20 years old to pursue my post-graduation from University of Delhi. Before that I had completed my graduation from West Bengal State University, West Bengal, which is my home town. I belong to a middle class Bengali family, with a aspiration for higher study. My parents were supportive and one of my teacher had advised me to attempt the DUET examination to get chance to pursue my post-graduation from DU as she had seen a bright student within myself and she wanted me to provide new scopes and to reach to a broader exposure from where I can pursue further, which supposed to be was not possible from WBSU because they have lack of infrastructure and also educational facilities. I was from the field of Anthropology and I knew that in India, the Department of Anthropology, DU was the superior most in its all kind of standards and I thought that I have that ability to represent myself as a student of anthropology from Delhi University.  As I had always tried to get exposure for new knowledge, new skills I attempted DUET and got Ranked No.1 in all over India.

Before the DUET result I had to take admission to WBSU because of timing issue and I was not sure whether I will be selected or not and was somehow perpetuated to decide whether I will go to Delhi or not. Also I was thinking that whether I can be able to adjust with the new life without my parents or not.  But when result come out I decided not to miss the opportunity.

Researcher:       How you have experienced the phase when you went abroad for the first time to pursue higher education?

Participant:       I have faced many problems when I reached to Delhi. After some days of admission I went to Delhi, I had taken admission to the DU women’s hostel and then started living there. Actually I had face a huge transition from all across my lifestyle from food to study. I didn’t knew whether I will be catch up the race I that busy city or not. I have experienced many things which were not supposed to be expected. First of all I had syndrome of feeling lonely. As I was new at that place and initially I did not have any close one as a friend. I used to talk to everyone in  the hostel but at the end of the day when I used to be in my room I felt alone. My room-mate was not supportive at all. I used to cry a lot whenever I felt down. In department, everything was in English which was a major change in my life. As I am from Bengali culture and also I had my graduation in Bengali itself. Suddenly all in English was a very tough period to adjust for me. My department and hostel has a diverse kind of people from many corners of the nation where English was most comfortable one to conversation in but it was a struggle for me to shift my language completely from Bengali to English . I always used to feel that I am inferior than the others around me from every aspect. 

Environmentally I have faced a lot of issues. I used to fall in fever many times. I got my migration also from the loneliness syndrome. Delhi was very polluted and also warm in climate that time which was not favoured by me and I used have breathing problem, headeque, nausea, fatigue, digestion issues and uncomfortable feeling all the time. Even my menstruation cycle got disturbed due to the huge change in environment.

I had change in my food habit as well. Hostel did not allowed Bengali dish every day. They also used to provide variety of foods daily which was really struggling for me to familiarize with. There was no place for worshipping God in my hostel, they also did not performed any ritual from my own culture.  Dress pattern was also different. Sometimes I felt that what I am wearing is not good enough for the city so I thought to buy new dresses but economic struggle was also there for me as my father does not have that much of sufficient money to spend without any tension. I did not had many friends so there was no opportunity to go and hangout for some time. Ultimately I was all alone that time but the only support was from my parents and their motivating statements.

Researcher:    So, how you have adjusted to that new environment?

Participant:     As we know environment is not only the physical background around us but also the socio-cultural background has a great importance to form an environmental condition, I had to find out the way to be happy that time. When I was unhappy with my room-mate, I informed the hostel authority and after some day they allowed me to shift to a single bed room and I moved to that room.  that was actually the turning point of my life. After shifting to my new room I started to live in new way. Whenever I felt bad, I started moving out for some time with who ever used to be my companion or alone. I started loving all the food from different culture that was provided by the hostel. I started thinking and living within a diverse environment. I started wearing mask while going out, I used to take hot vapours and medicines whenever it was needed. I started engaging myself with the study and started love to speak in English. I had to practice conversation with others for many times and I thought that this is the only place where I can grow up and can move out from the nut shell. I started going to gym in the evening time. I used to laugh not to cry. Whenever felt down used to call my mother. I did not changed my dressing style rather I stop myself to feel inferior and be creative. I started painting in my room, organising my room with lights and water plants to have a fresh feeling. I had managed myself to that changed place, changed socio-cultural background.

Researcher:     Did you find any change within yourself after pursuing study in abroad?

Participant:     Yes of course, there are a lot of change in my life write now. First of all, It was my prime most right decision to go to Delhi. I have learned a lot of thing from my department, visited lot of places, experienced diverse culture and diverse educational opportunities and facilities, which all were not supposed to be in my life if I did not take that decision. Now I am more confident in my conversation in English. I met to diverse people from diverse culture, experienced diverse rituals and also enjoyed diverse food and festivals. Ultimately now I don’t have that fear to adjust with other people or other culture rather now I am nourished with anthropological knowledge and I know I can adjust myself to any kind of situation and will create my happiness according to the context. 

Thematic Analysis: 

Qualitative data collected through interview is subjected to thematic analysis following the primary codes are as follows:

Primary Codes:

Aspiration and strengths	Semantic Barrier
Acknowledgment to the inferiority	Health problems
Voice of confidence	Adjustive struggle
Strategies to cope up	Diversity
Supportive actions	Uncertainty

Major Themes and Subthemes :

Strength	Weakness	Barriers	Diversity	Strategies	Changes
Exposure	Uncertainty	Semantic	People	Psychological	Lifestyle
Motivation	Inferiority	Physical	Culture	Cultural	Confidence
Aspiration	Loneliness	Mental	Food	Social	Thinking

 

The primary code related statements were highlighted in the interview text. Each primary code were given their respective colours which later on have been grouped into subthemes and then to major themes. All total 10 primary coded have been extracted from the interview which gave rise to 18 subthemes and 6 major themes. The statements were highlighted in respect to the colour of the primary code which they are belong to. Strength, weakness, barriers, diversity, strategies and changes are the major things that a student come across while going abroad.

Exposure, motivation and aspirations are the element of strengths which are structured by the parental support, teacher’s guidance and self-interest to come across to abroad to receive more and more educational facilities and reliable opportunities.  In the way to find new exposure many things works as the influencing agent as well which was also highlighted by the narration.

Every strength has some known or unknown weakness involved into it. The fear of uncertainty whether he or she will be succeed or not in the step or decision they have taken, uncertainty of the future situation and circumstances have to face while adjusting to new environment, feeling of loneliness in the new place without parental support and  feelings of inferiority while coming in touch with diverse culture and traditions are the building blocks of the conscious or unconscious weaknesses inside the student.

There are many barriers a student do face while going to abroad for educational purpose. First of all economic stability and sufficiency, semantic barrier to new language like English out of using own maternal language while having conversation with others, physical environment is very important for a student to get adapt with. Mental patience to adjust with a new society and adjustment with the new lifestyle depends on many things which are clubbed under the subcategory called Mental Barriers.

Diversity is the prime most thing a student come across while moving to a bigger city from a small town or rural area. Diversity in people, culture and food have been extracted from the interview which provides an idea that mental barriers and diversity in related to the mentioned subthemes are interrelated with each other.

Next major theme is to be Strategies. This is very important while talking about adjustments or adaptation. Adaptation is always build upon strategies taken by an individual in its own environmental context. Environment is made by ecological condition as well as socio-cultural context of the individual. Student’s life is very dynamic and progressive. Everyday a student learn new things. There is always a struggle of existence within this running  world.

Lastly comes changes in the behaviour which is the prime aim of pursuing higher education for a student.  Changes in lifestyle, confidence level, thinking pattern can be seen after some time of the adjustment or when the student will be acclimatized with the new environment.

All the themes and subthemes are interrelated with each other and go in sequence wise one after another. Each theme represents certain set of experiences, gain new knowledge and proceeds to further according to the preceding context.

In the present study, the participant has provided plenty of experiences learned and shared by her. The flow goes so well from the strength and weaknesses to changes in behaviour, lifestyle and her thinking pattern. All the statements were highlighted in the text in respect to their primary codes and were analysed under 6 major themes and 18 subthemes.

The phenomenological thematic analysis conducted on the interview text pertained to the two questions, What are the issues faced by the student in new environmental context? and What are the various strategies taken by the student to cope up the changing situation?  shows that based on her experiences, she had to go to abroad for her educational purpose and to complete her dream aspiration. She had to face many problems related to her health. She had to adapt with the completely different social and cultural pattern of the place to adjust with the situation and that adjustment ultimately lead to the change and progress in her lifestyle, thinking pattern and confidence level.

Challenges and Limitations of the study:

1.      The study is centred to one interview only which does not provide a complete and generalize about the experience of the concerned phenomena. So the present study is one participant focused.

2.      Researcher had faced hermeneutic challenge while coding the primary keywords as the statements are overlapping with each other. and

3.       The subthemes are interrelated with each other in such a complex manner that it was little difficult to distinguish the statements to compline under one subtheme.