ME+413+BULAMBULI+2ND+DRAFT

GROUP: this is the 2nd draft that is also posted in the fronter archive. Remember to check the first wiki and fronter for comments, questions and discussions. I suggest we use this document, and the fronter forum for future comments and discussions.

=1. Research question= An assessment of the social setup of Bulambuli District in Eastern Uganda and how this contributes to building resilience against landslides within the District.

=2. Site for Data Collection= “As shown in the research question our chosen site is Bulambuli district. The district is located in Eastern Uganda and it was curved out of Sirinko district in 2010”. Part of the district falls within the Mount Elgo n volcanic area ( NEMA, 2011, p. 2). It has a unique relief consisting of ridges, cliffs and bamboo forest, as well as low-lying flat areas. The forest cover on the mountainous part has been grossly depleted by human activity as the area has a generally fast growing population. In addition, the terrain in the southern part of the district is mountainous. It is therefore prone to landslides and flooding (Actalliance, 2011, p. 1).

2.1. Why the site is suitable
According to National Environmet Management Authority landslides are not a new phenomenon in the district (NEMA, 2011, p.2). A survey carried out in 2002 on landslides in Sironko (Bulambuli district was curved from Sironko district) revealed that the district had experienced landslides between 1951 and 2001 and that the occurrences were most pronounced between 1992 and 2001. Regarding the landslides that occurred in Eastern Uganda in August 2011, Bulambuli district was reported to have experienced the biggest damages to property, humans, crops and animals (Actalliance, 2011 p.2 ). Its exposure to landslides therefore, makes it a suitable site to study how its setup can contribute to building resilience against landslides among the local population.

In addition, the relevancy of establishing a linkage between the social and mitigation aspects in Bulambuli district justifies its selection as a site. NEMA (2011, p.2) observes that while landslides are recognized by many sub counties in the district as a social and developmental problem, neither the sub-county nor the district local governments had made any effort to mitigate the landslide problem. It was also noted, that based on indigenous knowledge, the local population could tell with a high degree of certainty using early warning signs the landslide prone areas. However, very few responded to such warnings because of the costs involved. Nonetheless, Eriksen, O’Brien and Rosentrater, (2008, p.15) note that people’s own strategies in terms of migrating to safe areas and relying on kinship and family remain the most important sources of survival. Therefore, a linkage between the social and mitigation aspects is important for building resilience.

2.2. Challenges to Research Site
Various challenges are anticipated as a result of our choice of data collection. Considering that the majority of the research team (group members) is non-Ugandans, it is likely to be a challenge related to the relationship between the researchers and the participants and the community. The understanding of Bulambuli community to non-Ugandan researchers may not only be limited, but also creating an atmosphere of trust between them and the community would require effort. This is a big challenge and as Suzuki, Ahluwalia, Arora and Mattis (2007, p. 296) observe, success of a research study partly depends on the researcher’s understanding of the community and the power and trust relations between the researchers and the participants. This has implications for the quality of knowledge constructed and the interpretations made and may compromise the overall quality of the study.

Building rapport would also be a challenge considering the team composition. It is easier to bring rapport when the researcher’s language and ethnicity is similar to that of the participants which is not the case for this study. However, even the Ugandan on the team of researchers has a different ethnicity and language from that of Bulambuli residents. Building the rapport is thus very likely to be a challenge especially since the study is ethnographic. Building rapport is important since it determines entry into the study area and connotes the quality of the relationship between the researchers and the participants (Suzuki, Ahluwalia, Arora and Mattis, 2007, p. 297).

Related to the issue of establishing rapport is the challenge of culture shock and misinterpretation. Culture shock is likely to be faced by the non-Ugandan researchers especially since the study is going to employ participant observation as a data collection method. This is highly expected since many people in Bulambuli are living in camps after the disaster struck and these are characterized by immorality and dirty environments among others which are likely different from the home environments of the researchers. This could lead to anxiety, depression, anger and frustration on the part of the researcher thus affecting the data collected and its quality- portrayal of reality (Suzuki, Ahluwalia, Arora and Mattis, 2007, p. 302).

The likelihood of misinterpreting the local culture is also high and this is a big challenge since it has implications for the design of the data collection tools which must be culturally appropriate, otherwise the people could resent them and the project as a whole. If this happens, the people may openly resist or tacitly subvert the data-collection process by refusing to participate or manufacturing experiences as a way of highlighting their discomfort.

The insider versus outsider perspective is another likely challenge especially since none of the researchers is an insider in the community of Bulambuli. Being insiders is considered important because the researcher’s perspective is tied to his or her level of experience within the community under study. Therefore, when they are members of the community then the nature of their insider perspective arguably provide them with insight into the intimate workings of the group under study. It is also argued that insiders have the advantage of being familiar with key customs and with vocabularies that may facilitate access to communities (Suzuki, Ahluwalia, Arora and Mattis, 2007, p. 300). This is a lacking ingredient for our study thus a challenge. Language and communication differences are also likely challenges because they have the potential to affect interpretation of data thus inaccurate analysis.

=3. Data sources and Collection of Data = To qualitatively answer our research question, we have chosen to apply participant observation as a data source and research method. The sampling frame will consist of a range of individuals and institutions: local citizens that have been directly affected by the recent landslides in Bulambuli, NGO’s operating in the area, such as the Ugandan Red Cross Society which played a central role in assisting people in Bulambuli after the August 2011 landslides (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2011, n.p.), and authorities from village to national level. At the national level, the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness might provide highly relevant information as it has been involved in emergency aid and recovery in Bulambuli. The Ugandan National Environmental Management Authority has carried out assessments of the damage and conducted various meetings with the local community to mitigate the damage (NEMA, 2011), and might thus also provide data.

3.1. Choice of Data Sources and Collection of Data: Participant Observation

Participant observation, often interchangeably called ethnography, refers to a research method where the participant observer “immerses him- or herself in a group for an extended period of time, observing behaviour, listening to what is said in conversations both between others and with the fieldworker, and asking questions” (Bryman, 2008, p.402). This research method also involves that the researcher interviews informants to get data that are not revealed through observation and then writes transcriptions, in addition to collection of documents that are relevant to the topic (Bryman, 2008, p.402).

We find this research method highly suitable to answer our research question- as we argue in the next section it will provide us with important tools to get a deep insight into the social setup of the communities’ in Bulambuli, and detailed understanding of the ways these social structures are perceived to contribute to build resilience against landslides. Field notes will be written based on the observations done in addition to transcriptions from interview records. After this a detailed description of the results and the setting will be produced. We will apply overt observation, as this is ethically preferable. The plan is to stay in Bulambuli for … weeks/months/a longer period of time, investigating the social setup in Bulambuli, actively take part in community life, conducting interviews (also semi-structured based on an interview guide, making transcripts of the records made) and collecting relevant documents, based on the above identified research sampling.

3.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Participant Observation

The choice of applying participant observation as research method is based on certain advantages of this approach to answer the research question. Participant observation provides us with the opportunity to get close to people over a long period of time, and thus develop a deep understanding of the context- in this case how the social setup within the Bulambuli community contributes to building resilience against landslides (Bryman, 2008, p.411, 465). Through participant observation, we will be well placed to “seeing through other’s eyes” (Bryman, 2008, p.465). As Bryman states: “Research that relies on interviewing alone is likely to entail much more fleeting contacts” (Bryman, 2008, p. 465). Through such “filtration” within the community, we will better understand the culture, people and social setting of Bulambuli, and thus can make more correct interpretations of what we observe (Bryman, 2008, p.465). As participant observers, we will, as Bryman states, develop a thorough “understanding of the culture of the group and people’s behaviour within the context of that culture” (2008, p.403). In the study of community setup and resilience in Bulambuli, this is essential, especially as many of the researchers (the group) not are Ugandans, but coming from different continents and thus cultures of the world.

On the other hand it should not be forgotten that the amount of time necessary to spend within the site of research (Bulambuli), possibly in a stressful environment still suffering from the damages of the landslides, and potentially costs that might be demanded by conducting participant observation over such a long period of time, is a disadvantage of applying participant observation to answer this research question. Further, gaining access as participants observers taking on an overt role, and being foreigners in Bulambuli, might be challenging and a lengthy process, even to public/open settings (Bryman, 2008, p.407). This might demand building relationships for example with community leaders, which can serve as gate-keepers or acquaintances (Bryman, 2008, p. 407). This might be a time-demanding process. T he issue of access is something that should not be taken lightly (Bryman, 2008, p. 405). Also reactivity might affect the quality of the data collected, as the research participants might take on an unnatural behavior (Bryman, 2008, p.468).


 * //3.2.1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Interviewing (As Part of Participant Observation)//**

A central part of participant observation is not only the data provided through observation, but also conducting qualitative interviews, both of representatives from authority agencies from local to national level, NGO’s and among the local population affected by landslides. Interviews can bring insight into what the researcher wants to know more about, but is not revealed through observation alone. According to Bryman, qualitative interviews (which often is relatively flexible) provide further insight into the interviewee’s point of view, and the researcher gains rich, detailed answers (2008, p.437). This is very much what we want to achieve in our study: to gain deep insight in the social setup of the communities in Bulambuli and a detailed understanding of in what ways these social structures are perceived to contribute to build resilience against landslides. As a part of participant observation, such interviews produce data that emphasize the interviewees’ lived experiences and “helps to glean the way in which research participants view their social world” (Suzuki et. al, 2007, p.308; Bryman, 2008, p.442). In our study, it will thus be highly relevant to interview both the local population (women, men, and youth) which have been affected by landslides, and leaders at village and district level, both religious, traditional and government leaders.

Also official documents are applied as part of participant observation. In order to answer the research question documents from both government and private sources might be relevant in the case. At the national level, reports from the August 2011 Bulambuli landslides, produced for example by the Ugandan Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and the National Environmental Management Authority might provide highly relevant information, which is a great advantage. As stated in Bryman, “the state is the source of a great deal of information of potential significance for social researches” (2008, p.521). In Uganda, it is likely that for example the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness have produced reports after the August 2011 landslides in Bulambuli, which was hardest hit. Also the National Environment Management Authority has produced such reports (NEMA, 2011). This is also the case with NGO’s operating in the area, such as the Ugandan Red Cross Society (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 2011, n.p.). There is little doubt about the authenticity of these documents, and they have clear meanings (Bryman, 2008, p.521). These are clear advantages.
 * //3.2.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Collection of Documents (As Part of Participant Observation)//**

A potential disadvantage of collecting information through documents is however the risk of the document sources being biased (Bryman, 2008, p.521). A concern is whether documents deriving from the government agencies (from local to national level) and private sources reveal a neutral picture of the reality, especially in a context where the government still is struggling with significant democratic flaws, as it is in Uganda (SIDA, 2009, pp.33-34). A further disadvantage is that these sources might not provide sufficient information and details about community setup and its impact upon resilience building, as this demands insight into local structures at the very grass-root level. Few documents exist on the area, especially as the district of Bulambuli was established in 2010. Most of the available documents about Bulambuli are on landslides, emergency relief and recovery, and do not so much provide insight into the social setup. This does however make our own observations even more important.

However, as applying documents as data sources is combined with qualitative interviewing, and all this takes place within a frame of participant observation, it can be argued that these data sources complement each other and that interviewing compensates for the disadvantages connected to applying documents from government agencies and NGO’s. While documents give an official presentation of how the people applied social networks etc. to build resilience against the landslides, information collected through qualitative interviews at the very local grass-root level, can represent a different perspective and reality. Thus, applying participant observation, which includes observation combined with both qualitative interviews and documents, might be highly useful to answer the question of in what ways the social setup within the Bulambuli district contribute to building resilience against natural disasters. Such "triangulation" of methods will provide a highly contextual understanding of the social phenomenon that are being studied, and provide the perspectives of a range of different actors- thus revealing biases.

4. Data analysis

There is often a lot of material and data gathered when conducting qualitative research projects, such as field notes, interview transcripts or documents (Bryman, 2008, p. 538). Miles (as cited in Bryman, 2008, p. 538) “has described qualitative data as an ‘attractive nuisance’ because of the attractiveness of its richness but the difficulty of finding analytic paths through that richness”. There are two general strategies of qualitative data analysis; analytic induction and the grounded theory. For this project we use grounded theory. Grounded theory is the most widely used framework to analyze the qualitative data. Grounded theory is a strategy for generating theory out of data. The main tool of grounded theory to analyze data is coding. This process begins soon after the collection of initial data (Bryman, 2008, pp. 539-541).

Among the different sources and methods of gathering data, we have chosen to apply ethnography/participant observation in this research project. By applying these data sources we gather data from interviews with local population in the area affected by the landslides; village leaders; district leaders; as well as employees in local government and NGO’s in the area. Official documents and reports are also being used, provided by for example the Ministry of Disasters Preparedness and the Ugandan National Environmental Management Authority and perhaps also private sources.

The process of coding begins soon after the collection. Charmaz (as cited in Bryman, 2008, p. 543) suggest two main forms or phases of coding: the initial coding and the selective or focused coding. In the initial coding, a code is assigned to every line of the text, to provide initial impressions of the data. In this case, it will be made the necessary codes <range type="comment" id="607910">to encapsulate the data from interviews of affected people and national, local, and regional leaders in the Bulambuli district.

In the next phase “focused coding” of the most common codes will be emphasized, as well as of the ones that contain the most significant data. The codes will be evaluated and the less significant codes will be discarded. New codes might be generated by combining initial codes (Bryman, 2008, p. 643). It’s required to re-explore and re-evaluated the data according to the new codes. Coding the data retrieved from the research might not be a simple way of managing the data, and it also has to reflect the dimensions of a broader phenomenon (Bryman, 2009, p. 552). In the case studied codes might reflect the social phenomenon of the set up and resilience in the Bulambuli <range type="comment" id="183366">community.

=References= Actalliance, 2011. Retrieved March 20th 2012, from []

Bryman, A. (2008). //Social Research Methods// (3rd Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Eriksen, S., O’Brien, K. and Rosentrater, L. (2008). Climate Change in Eastern and Southern Africa: Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation. //Global Environmental Change and Human Security Report//: 2, pp. 1-25.

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (2011). Uganda: Floods and Landslides. //Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF)//. Retrieved March 19th 2012, from: []

National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) (2011). //Bulambuli District Landslides Report//. Retrieved March 21st 2012, from: []

SIDA, Department for Empowerment (2009). //ICTs for Democracy. Information and Communications Technologies for the Enhancement of Democracy- With a Focus on Empowerment.// Retrieved March 1st 2012, from: []

Suzuki L.A, Ahluwalia M. K, Arora A. K and Mattis J.S (2007) The Pond You Fish In Determines the Fish You Catch: Exploring Strategies for Qualitative Data Collection. //The Counseling Psychologist,// Vol. 35, No. 295. Retrieved March 21st 2012, from: []