Qualitative research seeks the “why” through the analysis of unstructured information, such as interview transcripts, emails, notes, feedback, forms, photos, and videos. Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research doesn’t rely on statistics or numbers. Used to gain insight into people’s attitudes, behaviors, values, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles, the results can help inform business decisions, policy formation, communication and research. Quantitative research can be very informal as already stated; however, focus groups, in-depth interviews, ethnography, evaluation, and observation are more structured and formal methods.
With this in mind, after this week’s discussion on qualitative research, I was wondering how the government or the President himself could use qualitative research. I then came across this article about the recent discussion in the news regarding Obama’s hope to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” military homosexual exclusion law. The “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law is the common term for the policy restricting the United States military from efforts to discover or reveal closeted gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members or applicants, while barring those who are openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual from military service.
The policy was introduced as a compromise measure in 1993 by then-President Bill Clinton who campaigned on the promise to allow all citizens to serve in the military regardless of sexual orientation. However, Obama now wants to allow homosexuals to freely be open and serve in the military. With this being said, many are unsure if this is the right thing to do. In order to get a better sense of the overall reaction and feeling, “On March 2, the secretary assembled a working group to draft a plan to implement repeal and mitigate the consequences. Although the working group engaged the force it failed to ask the only question that matters—‘Should the homosexual law be repealed?’ The working group used six instruments to engage the force” including focus groups.
Focus groups being a type of qualitative research, served as a way for others to speak out and discuss the positive and negatives of repealing the law. The session focused exclusively on “when the policy changes.” “Session participants said questions and opinions in opposition to repeal were ignored. Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, the session leader, said—according to a participant who wrote to the Washington Times—Christians who disagree with repeal “were bigots and racists and those who felt homosexuality was immoral should start looking for a new line of work.” Bostick allegedly said once the homosexual policy is repealed, chaplains who preach against homosexuality would be treated as criminals.” With these results in mind, we have to wonder what kind of outcome is going to come out of this?
While homosexuals are entitled to receive more respect in today’s society, the military is a place I feel that sexuality shouldn’t be a topic of discussion. The “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy has worked for years and should stay the same. While we are naturally more open to homosexuals today, sexuality shouldn’t be a topic of discussion nor make anyone less of a fighter when it comes to military duties
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