GERKIN’S HERMENEUTIC OF PASTORAL CARE METHOD

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CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHOD AND DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

Practical theology is an intricate and complex enterprise that deals with theological and human experiences on the ground. It carries in itself the diversity of methodological and other theological approaches in dealing with human experience. The common theme that holds this discipline together is its perspective on human experience and its desire to reflect theologically upon those experiences. This understanding of practical theology makes it exciting and essential as it enables us to engage with important topics in a meaningful manner. As this chapter outlines the research method employed, it takes into consideration the depth of African people‘s experiences by outlining all the associated methodological concerns. Linking practical theology with qualitative research has the potential to uncover credible data on the ground.
This chapter explores the nature of qualitative research and its epistemological foundations. The sampling, data collection and data analysis methods employed by this research are detailed below. Finally, ethical issues such as the welfare of the research participants are discussed.

DESIGN OF RESEARCH

It is imperative to commence a research project by detailing the research design. Buffel says ―a research design is comparable to the glue that holds a research project together‖ (2007: 75; cf Trochim 2001). He continues to say that ―it can be thought of as a structure of the research, which also tells how all elements of the research fit together‖ (Ibid.). This design explains the area of focus, the procedures of data collection, as well as the method of data analysis used. It also discusses the research sample and ethical issues pertaining to this research.

EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS

Qualitative research has a distinctive way of understanding the world, and it is therefore helpful to begin by looking at the epistemology that underlies this approach to research. Epistemology, from the Greek words ‗episteme‘ (knowledge) and „logos‟ (words/speech) ―theory of knowledge‖, is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope (including the limitations) of knowledge (Mason, 2006:16).
It therefore addresses questions such as:

• What is our knowledge of the other?
• How is knowledge acquired?
• How do we know what we know? (McLeod, 2001: 3)

The above questions bear some relevancy to the field of practical theology, as it deals directly with the pain of human experience on the ground. Knowledge can be divided into a priori knowledge, or knowledge that is automatically known apart from experience and knowledge gained from human experience. In the light of this, divorce is a well-known concept in both Western and African societies. However, the experience and perceptions of divorce differ greatly between various cultures. This study focuses specifically on the perceptions of divorce as experienced by African men, with the aim of gaining an in-depth understanding of their perceptions.
According to Mowat and Swinton, ―knowledge of the other occurs when the research focuses on a particular individual or group and explores in-depth the ways in which they view and interact with the world‖ (2007: 33). This quotation reflects the researcher‘s aim of attaining an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of divorce as experienced by African men through gaining knowledge of the other. The essence of epistemology is fundamental to how we think and acquire knowledge. Without some means of understanding how we acquire knowledge, how we rely upon our senses, and how we develop concepts in our minds, we have no coherent path for our thinking.
A sound epistemology is necessary for the existence of sound thinking and reasoning. ―The centrepiece of grounded theory is the development or generation of a theory closely related to the context of the phenomenon being studied‖ (Creswell, 1998: 56). In agreeing with Creswell, the research generated a theory or model of care from data on the ground.
According to Swinton and Mowat , “the epistemology of qualitative research relates to the particular theory of knowledge that underpins this approach” (2007: 32). Epistemology as a scope of generating knowledge is also parallel to qualitative research in that it contributes a lot in collecting data from human experiences on the ground. It is essential in this regard to look at this mode of inquiry as a larger mechanism of collecting data for the research project.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Qualitative research recognizes the world as being the locus of complex interpretive processes within which human beings work towards making sense of their experiences. This mode of data analysis was selected due to the research‘s focus on understanding both the phenomenon of divorce and resilience among African divorced men. This study consisted of two components, namely:

• A review of relevant literature in terms of : divorce, divorce adjustment, resilience, pastoral care and African method of care which an element of pastoral care can highly be enriched.
• Empirical research, which is qualitative in nature. The researcher used a grounded theory approach, which refers to theory derived from data that has been systematically gathered and analyzed.

Qualitative research methods utilize an inductive mode of analysis. This mode of analysis is in contrast to quantitative research methods, which rely on deductive thinking or a process of moving from a general theory to specific observations. This research will delve into the world of African men and poses open-ended questions with the aim of eliciting in-depth, detailed responses regarding their experiences, perceptions, feelings and knowledge on the phenomenon of divorce. As the research will enter their world, it will endeavour to understand divorce and resilience from their perspective as divorced African men. Swinton and Mowat define qualitative research as ―a process of careful, rigorous inquiry into aspect of social world‖ (2007: 31). They continue to say that ―this definition suggests that qualitative research relates to the careful exploration of the ways in which human beings encounter their world, an exposition that offers new ways of understanding and interpreting the world‖ (Swinton and Mowat, 2007: 31).
Denzin and Lincoln define qualitative research as being ―multi-method in focus, involving an interpretative, naturalistic approach to its subject matter‖ (1998: 3). The above quotation is helpful to this research because it aimed to describe and explore the nature and reality of divorce as experienced by African men, and ultimately aimed to enable researchers to understand the phenomenon differently in order to add new knowledge to the field.
Qualitative research involves the utilization of a variety of methods and approaches, which enable the researcher to explore the social world in an attempt to access and understand the uniqueness that individuals and communities inhabit it.
Qualitative research always begins with the theory on the ground. Buffel describes this as ―what is actually happening on the ground and in praxis‖ (2007: 76). In the context of this research, the focus is on divorced African men. The study was guided by Gerkin‘s methodology of shepherding, which is discussed later. The methodology of shepherding will be implemented throughout the research in order to gain an understanding of pastoral care needed by divorced African men.
Qualitative and quantitative researches have distinct differences in their application and use within a holistic process.
This section seeks to highlight these differences in order for the reader to acquaint themselves with the rationale behind using a qualitative approach for this research. Neuman (2000) describes the different principles of qualitative and quantitative research, which are presented in the following table 3.1

DECLARATION
SUMMARY 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
KEY TERMS
BBREVIATIONS 
TABLE OF CONTENTS .
CHAPTER ONE  Introduction to the research  Prologue 
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 THE INSTITUTION OF MARRIAGE .
1.3 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.4 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
1.5 AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND RELEVANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6 RESEARCH GAP
1.7 GERKIN’S HERMENEUTIC OF PASTORAL CARE METHOD
1.8 THE DATA-COLLECTION METHOD
1.9 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS
1.10 OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS
CHAPTER TWO THE LITERATURE REVIEW 
2.1. INTRODUCTION
2.2. THE DIVORCE RATE
2.3. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
2.4. THE BIBLICAL DATA
2.4.1. THE OLD TESTAMENT DOCUMENT
2.4.1.1. Deuteronomy 22
2.4.1.2. Deuteronomy 24
2.4.2. THE NEW TESTAMENT
2.4.2.1. Jesus’ view of divorce
2.4.2.2. Paul’s view of divorce
2.5. ANALYSIS OF THE BIBLICAL DATA
2.6. Theology of marriage
2.6.1. Marriage and God’s nature
2.7. DIVORCE AS A PROCESS
2.7.1. Wiseman’s view of the divorce process
2.7.3. Explanation of Bohannon’s stages
2.7.3.1. Emotional divorce
2.7.3.2. Legal divorce
2.7.3.3. Economic divorce
2.7.3.4. Co-parental divorce
2.7.3.5. Community divorce
2.7.3.6. Psychic divorce
2.8. EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON PARENTS
2.9. EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN
2.9.1. Short-term effects
2.9.2. Long-term effects
2.10. POST-DIVORCE RECOVERY
2.11. RESILIENCE
2.12. SUMMARY
CHAPTER THREE  RESEARCH METHOD AND DESIGN 
3.1. INTRODUCTION
3.2. DESIGN OF RESEARCH
3.3. EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
3.4. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
3.5. GROUNDED THEORY
3.6. DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYSIS
3.7. PARTICIPANTS
3.8. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
3.9. GERKIN’S HERMENEUTICAL METHODOLOGY
3.10. CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR Exploring the reality of divorce
4.1. INTRODUCTION
4.2. HUDSON
4.3. JOHN
4.4. MAX
4.5. BJ
4.6. ANALYSIS OF NARRATIONS BY DIVORCED AFRICAN MEN
4.7. UNDERSTANDING OF MARRIAGE WITHIN THE VATSONGA TRIBES
4.8. THE SHIFT OF MARRIAGE FROM TRADITIONAL FOCUS
4.9. DIVORCE IN THE MIDST OF THE VATSONGA PEOPLE
4.10. FACTORS INFLUENCING RESILIENCE IN AFRICAN MEN AFTER DIVORCE
4.11. CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FIVE DATA SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES WITH ITERATURE AND PASTORAL CARE 
5.1. INTRODUCTION
5.2. THE REALITY OF DIVORCE
5.3. EXPLANATION OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS TO DIVORCE
5.4. EFFECTS OF DIVORCE AMONG AFRICAN MEN
5.5. FINAL ANALYSIS OF RESILIENCE
5.6. INFLUENCE OF EDUCATION
5.7. THEOLOGY OF FORGIVENESS AS A WAY OF COPING WITH DIVORCE
5.8. THEOLOGY OF HOPE
5.9. SHEPHERDING: THE ROLE OF PASTORS IN THE CONGREGATION
5.10. AFRICAN TRADITIONAL COUNSELLING
5.11. A CRITIQUE OF CHRISTIAN PASTORAL CARE
5.12. CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER SIX  EVALUATIONS, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
6.1. INTRODUCTION
6.2. EVALUATIONS OF THE STUDY
6.3. PARTICIPANTS
6.4. METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
6.5. BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
6.6. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
6.7. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
6.8. RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
6.9. CONCLUSION
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix
REFERENCES
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