AESTHETIC FORMS OF DATA REPRESENTATION IN QUALITATIVE FAMILY THERAPY RESEARCH

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Jan 2005 by Piercy, Fred P, Benson, Kristen

Ricci (2003) also addresses possible criticisms in his limitations section. For example:

The use of self as a sole source of data has been questioned (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994; Sparkes, 2000). One could argue my design lacks rigor. To that I would reply that were a researcher to spend as much time collecting data from his/her subject as I did with "Ronnie" (Ronnie is the author), I daresay his or her rigor would not be in question, (p. 6)

Ricci (2003) is explaining and supporting his use of a poem as an autoethnographic form or research. Until such methods of research and data representation are better understood, those who choose to use alternative forms of data representation would do well to explain their purpose, and provide an intellectual context for their work.

Of course, distinctions among qualitative research methods are not always as clear as we present them. For example, feminist family therapy researchers who are committed to critique and change, can use art, creative writing methods, or theater to represent their findings. Similarly, ethnographers or phenomenologists may conduct fine research without ever using any of these alternative forms of data representation.

EXAMPLES OF AESTHETIC FORMS OF DATA REPRESENTATION

Audience Readings

My wife (an audiologist with a hearing loss) and I (FP) have talked to professional audiences about couple communication when one partner has a hearing loss. Before we present research-based suggestions about what family therapists might do to improve couple communication, we pass out about 20 cards to members of our audience. The cards have on them statements from hard-of-hearing people about the effects of their hearing losses on their lives. Here are a few examples:

I can't hear my own grandchildren. It's getting so they don't even try to talk to me anymore. (Audiology patient of Susan Piercy's, personal communication, November 12, 2001)

Remember when you asked me if I heard the birds singing outside? I said 'yes.' But I couldn't hear them. . . . You know how we all laughed at the comedians on (TV)? I never heard them either! Remember when you asked me if I liked school. I hated school! . . . Everyone expected me to be normal. I'm not. I'm hard-of-hearing. I'm not a bad person, I'm not a stupid person, I'm just hardof-hearing! (Harvey, 1998, p. 21)

You know, my dad and 1 camped together, ran together, drank beers together. He took me to my first Red Sox game-I was only five years old. I remember when he gave me his old hunting knife, it was all rusty, dirty. I still have it. . . . We never stopped doing things together, you know? But after I lost my hearing we never again looked each other straight in the eyes. I not only lost my hearing, I lost my dad, too. (Harvey, 1998, p. 45)

Members of the audience read, in turn, their particular card as if it is they who had the hearing loss. Invariably, many are moved by the statements on the cards. Also, the readings often elicit memories of a family member's challenge with hearing loss. The research and clinical information we then share with them has a context in their own experience.