Abstract
In spite of the diffusion of focus groups method across disciplines and in several areas of research, and although scholars have indicated the utility of this method in cross-cultural research and research with ethnic minority groups, focus groups have been used in this kind of study to a limited extent. One of the reasons for this might be due to the lack of confidence of the researcher in using this kind of method in culturally diverse populations. Being culturally sensitive and, at the same time, pursuing data comparability, makes doing cross-cultural focus groups research a difficult task that necessitates adequate planning and preparation. In this chapter, I present advantages and possible pitfalls of the use of focus groups in cross-cultural research, referring to my recent experience as moderator of focus group discussions in Italy, India and Australia. Suggestions and recommendations for the use of this method with culturally diverse groups are provided, looking at the three phases of the focus groups process: planning, conducting and analysing/reporting.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Adderley-Kelly, B., Green, P. M. (2005). Strategies for successful conduct of research with low-income African American populations. Nursing Outlook , 53(3), 147 – 152.
Barata, P. C., Gucciardi, E., Ahmad, F., Stewart, D. E. (2006). Cross-cultural perspectives on research participation and informed consent. Social Science & Medicine, 62(2), 479 –490.
Bernard, H. R. (1995). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches, 2nd edition. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press.
Berthelette, G., Raftis, Y., Henderson, G. (2001). A culturally appropriate format for a focus group? Aboriginal Nurse, 16, 17–18.
Billson, J. M. (2006). Conducting focus group research across cultures: Consistency and compa-rability . UK: ESRC Research Group on Wellbeing in Developing Countries.
Bloor, M., Frankland, J., Thomas, M., & Robson, K. (2001). Focus groups in social research. London: Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Bissell, S., Manderson, L., & Allotey, P. (2000). In focus: Film, focus groups and working children in Bangladesh. Visual Anthropology, 13(2), 169 –184.
Braun, K. L., Nichols, R. (1997). Death and dying in four Asian American cultures: A descriptive study. Death Studies, 21(4), 327–359.
Chew-Graham, C., Bashir, C., Chantler, K., Burman, E., & Batsleer, J. (2002). South Asian women, psychological distress and self-harm: Lessons for primary care trusts. Health and Social Care in the Community, 10(5), 339 –347.
Colucci, E. (2006). The cultural facet of suicidal behaviour: Its importance and negligence. AeJAMH 5(3), http://www.auseinet.com/journal/vol5iss3/colucci.pdf
Colucci, E. (2007). “ Focus groups can be fun ”: The use of activity-oriented questions in focus group discussions. Qualitative Health Journal, 17(10), 1422 –1433.
Colucci, E. (submitted). The cultural meaning of suicide: A comparison between Italian, Indian and Australian students. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Colucci, E. (under submission). The “group” as “f ocus ” of focus groups: Issues of analysis and report of focus groups data.
Colucci, E., Martin, G. (2007). Ethnocultural aspects of suicide in young people: A systematic lit-erature review. Part 1: Rates and methods of youth suicide. Suicide & Life -Threatening Behavior, 37(2), 197–221.
De Jong, J. T. V. M., & Van Ommeren, M. (2002). Toward a culture-informed epidemiology: Combining qualitative and quantitative research in transcultural context. Transcultural Psychiatry, 39(4), 422–433.
Halcomb, E. J., Gholizadeh, L., DiGiacomo, M., Phillips, J., Davidson, P. M. (2007). Literature review: Considerations in undertaking focus group research with culturally and linguistically diverse groups. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 16(6), 1000–1011.
Hawthorne, G., Davidson, N., Quinn, K., McCrate, F., Winkler, I., Lucas, R., et al. (2006). Issues in conducting cross-cultural research: Implementation of an agreed international protocol [cor-rected] designed by the WHOQOL Group for the conduct of focus groups eliciting the quality of life of older adults. Quality of life research, 15 (7), 1257 –1270.
Hennink, M. M. (2007). I nternational focus group research . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Huer, M. B., Saenz, T. I. (2003). Challenges and strategies for conducting survey and focus group research with culturally diverse groups. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 12 (2), 209 –220.
Hughes, D., & DuMont, K. (1993). Using focus groups to facilitate culturally anchored research. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21(6), 775–806.
Irvine, F. E., Lloyd, D., Jones, P. R., Allsup, D. M., Kakehashi, B. C., Ogi, A., et al. (2007). Lost in translation? Undertaking transcultural qualitative research. Nurse Researcher,14(3), 46–59.
Jones, S. R. (2002). (Re)writing the word: Methodological strategies and issues in qualitative research. Journal of College Student Development, 43(4), 461 –473.
Khan, M., & Manderson, L. (1992). Focus groups in tropical diseases research. Health Policy and Planning, 7(1), 56–66.
Kitzinger, J. (1995). Qualitative research. Introducing focus groups. British Medical Journal, 311(7000), 299 –302.
Kitzinger, J. (1999). Focus groups with users and providers of health care. In C. M. Pope, N. (Ed.), Qualitative research in health care, 2nd edition. London: BMJ Publishing Groups.
Knodel, J. (1995). Focus groups as a qualitative method for cross-cultural research in social ger-ontology. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 10(1-2), 7–20.
Krueger, R. A., Casey, M. A. (2000). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research, 3rd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Liamputtong, P. (2007). Researching the vulnerable: A guide to sensitive research methods. London: Sage Publications.
Liamputtong, P., & Ezzy, D. (2005). Qualitative research methods, 2nd edition. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Liamputtong, P., Rumbold, J. (Eds.) (2008). Knowing differently: Arts-based and collaborative research methods . New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Madriz, E. (2000). Focus groups in feminist research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 835 – 850). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morgan, D. L. (1995). Why things (sometimes) go wrong in focus groups. Qualitative Health Research, 5(4), 516 –523.
Morgan, D. L. (1996). Focus Groups. Annual Review of Sociology, 22, 129–152.
Morgan, D. L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morgan, D. L. (1998). The focus group guidebook. In D. L. Morgan, R. A. Krueger & J. A. King (Eds.), Focus group kit (Vol. I). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morgan, D. L., & Scannell, A. U. (1998). Planning focus groups (Vol. II). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Morrison-Beedy, D., Côté Arsenault, D., Fischbeck Feinstein, N. (2001). Maximizing results with focus groups: Moderator and analysis issues. Applied Nursing Research, 14(1), 48–53.
Okazaki, S., Sue, S. (1995). Methodological issues in assessment research with ethnic minorities. Psychological Assessment, 7(3), 367 –375
Phan, T. T., Fitzgerald, M. H. (1996). Guide for the use of focus groups in health research (Vol. 1). Sidney: TMH.
Ratner, C. (2001). Analyzing cultural-psychological themes in narrative statements. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 2(3), n. p.
Ryan, G. W., Bernard, H. R. (2000). Data management and analysis methods. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research, 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Schilder, K., Tomov, T., Mladenova, M., Mayeya, J., Jenkins, R., Gulbinat, W., et al. (2004). The appropriateness and use of focus group methodology across international mental health com-munities. International Review of Psychiatry, 16(1-2), 24–30.
Smithson, J. (2000). Using and analysing focus groups: Limitations and possibilities. International Journal of Social Research Methodology: Theory and Practice, 3(2), 103–119.
Strickland, C. J. (1999). Conducting focus groups cross-culturally: Experiences with Pacific northwest Indian people. Public Health Nursing, 16(3), 190–197.
Twinn, S. (1998). An analysis of the effectiveness of focus groups as a method of qualitative data collection with Chinese populations in nursing research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 28(3), 654–661.
Vissandjée, B., Abdool, S. N., & Dupéré, S. (2002). Focus groups in rural Gujarat, India: A modi-fied approach. Qualitative Health Research, 12(6), 826–843.
Wellings, K., Branigan, P., & Mitchell, K. (2000). Discomfort, discord and discontinuity as data: Using focus groups to research sensitive topics. Culture, Health and Sexuality,2(3), 255–267.
Willis, E., Pearce, M., & Jenkin, T. (2005). Adapting focus group methods to fit Aboriginal com-munity-based research. Qualitative Research Journal, 5(2), 112 –123.
Winslow, W. W., Honein, G., & Elzubeir, M. A. (2002). Seeking Emirati women’s voices: The use of focus groups with an Arab population. Qualitative Health Research, 12(4), 566–575.
Yelland, J., & Gifford, S. M. (1995). Problems of focus group methods in cross-cultural research: A case study of beliefs about sudden infant death syndrome. Australian Journal of Public Health, 19(3), 257 –263.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science + Business Media B.V
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Colucci, E. (2008). On the Use of Focus Groups in Cross-Cultural Research. In: Liamputtong, P. (eds) Doing Cross-Cultural Research. Social Indicators Research Series, vol 34. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8567-3_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8567-3_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8566-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8567-3
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)