Conducting Effective Focus Groups in the Context of Diversity

Theoretical Underpinnings and Practical Implications

Bibliographic Data

ID5455592
AuthorsJanice L Dreachslin (Pennsylvania State University's Great Valley Graduate Center, corresponding author)
Year1998
Volume8
Issue6
Pages813-820
Publication date1998-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/104973239800800607
PMID10558348
OpenAlexW2127788998
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited8

Demographic trends reveal that the socially and culturally relevant diversity of patients, caregivers, and managers in health care organizations will continue to increase. In addition, social attitudes are moving from a goal of assimilation or homogenization to one of differentiation and maintenance of subgroup identity. These shifts in demographics and social attitudes require the associated development of theory and practice guidelines for focus groups conducted in the context of diversity. Diversity has a profound impact on factors ranging from study design to the selection and training of facilitators and the analysis of results. Racial identity development theory, models of communication style differences, ethnographic studies of cultural archetypes or ethnic markers, and the author's experiences in facilitating focus groups that explore the sensitive topic of race/ethnicity provide insights for researchers and practitioners who want to ensure that focus groups conducted in the context of diversity produce valid results

Cultural diversity · Ethnic group · Focus group · Geography · Political science · Public relations · Social group · Social identity theory · Sociology · Anthropology · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub