Chapter 4: Research Methodology and Design

Initially, this chapter discusses the design of this study, highlighting the two interconnected stages involved, as well as the sequential phases within each. The overall design is described as centred on a constructivist Grounded Theoretical framework. Such a methodological approach acknowledges the social construction of meaning achieved through the participant/s and researcher,¹ along with the assumption that processes of identification and their associated characteristics, such as meaning and belonging, are subjective and independent of the particularisms of individuals. From this vantage point, the circumspective benefits of such a methodological stance are advanced. In particular, emphasis is placed on reflecting the opinions of the contributors and building reciprocity between the individual and collectivity that, from the normative positioning theorized in the previous chapters, would stress egalitarianism, participatory development and social amelioration.