Understanding discourses within the African context

Sorbarikor Lebura, Bamidele Wale-Oshinowo, Doris Akyere Boateng

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The increased understanding of the place of philosophical positions of researchers in shaping their approach to undertaking research has greatly impacted the design and implementation of different studies. In recent times, there has been more appreciation for the role of qualitative methods in the search for answers and explanations to certain social phenomena across different research fields. However, the challenge has been that most of the approaches prevalent in the literature are shaped by discourses entrenched in western contexts. Consequently, this study explores how researchers conducting research within African contexts can better appreciate certain discourse elements. These elements, on the surface, may not mean so much to the non-African yet they are very key to understanding discourses within the African setting. The data collection involved 21 interviewees that were transcribed and then analyzed using the Thematic Discourse Analysis as proposed by Singer & Hunter (1999). The findings indicate that in addition to the different discourse elements earlier posited by authors in the area, there are some others that could be deemed as peculiar to the African context and therefore important for understanding discourses from the African perspective. These include but not limited to elements such as ‘history’, ‘story-telling’, ‘illustrations’,‘justifications’ and ‘credibility’. The study concludes that future studies should be undertaken using the above-mentioned discourse elements to gain a better understanding of peculiarities from the African perspective. This would be most beneficial for qualitative researches that seek to address certain social phenomena within the African context, especially those undertaken by non-Africans. It would also give guidance to African researchers in future studies seeking a better understanding of the contextual issues that shape the African continent.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 16th European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management, ECRM 2017
EditorsKatrina Lawlor, Anthony Paul Buckley
PublisherAcademic Conferences Limited
Pages210-216
Number of pages7
ISBN (Print)9781911218401
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Event16th European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management, ECRM 2017 - Dublin
Duration: 22 Jun 201723 Jun 2017

Publication series

NameProceedings of the European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management Studies
Volume2017-June
ISSN (Print)2049-0968
ISSN (Electronic)2049-0976

Conference

Conference16th European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management, ECRM 2017
Country/TerritoryIreland
CityDublin
Period22/06/1723/06/17

Keywords

  • Africa
  • Discourse analysis
  • Discourse elements
  • Qualitative methods

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