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SEXUAL ORIENTATION RESEARCH PHASE 2:
THE FUTURE OF LGBT RESEARCH - PERSPECTIVES OF COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background and context
Equality of opportunity is a key principle of the Scottish Parliament and a priority of the Scottish Executive. The definition of equal opportunities given in the Scotland Act (1998) is expansive and clearly includes sexual orientation. This commitment to equal opportunity for LGBT communities is expanded upon in the Equality Strategy produced by the Scottish Executive
1, as well as by the other activities conducted by this Unit, such as the thematic seminars for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities held in the Summer of 2000 and Autumn of 2001.
One of the three main strategic aims identified in the Strategy is the commitment to
'making better policy and providing better services'. In practice this commitment means that in developing policy the Executive is dedicated to making sure that
'equality issues are considered in the formulation, design and delivery of policy/legislation/services'.
2 As part of this, the Executive has pledged to review processes for consultation with the different equality groups, including the LGBT communities.
To support, inform and monitor progress towards equality objectives and 'mainstreaming', the Executive recognises the importance of having appropriate information on different equality groups. The provision of disaggregated statistics and targeted qualitative research is already underway for many equality groups, such as those concerned with gender and ethnicity. However, it has been recognised within the Executive that existing data sources do not provide adequate information on sexual orientation per se, or on the characteristics, needs and circumstances of LGBT communities more broadly.
3 Moreover, there is a lack of clarity within the Executive, and elsewhere, about what data needs exist in the Scottish Executive and which methods would be most effective in providing data on LGBT communities. For this reason, the Executive has commissioned this, and related studies, which aim to explore the need for, and possible approaches to, researching LGBT communities.
Understanding research and data needs on LGBT issues - both within and outwith the Executive - is important and has clear benefits. Generating appropriate data on all equality groups is essential because it can lead to policy that facilitates wider equality in society. It does this by increasing awareness and
'recognition of the different positions occupied by different individuals and groups vulnerable to inequality and disadvantage within economic and social systems'.
4 Only by doing this will it be possible to ensure proper monitoring of the position of LGBT people in Scotland, and to achieve policy that can guarantee their equal treatment. Having comparable data on all equality groups will also highlight the diversity of Scottish society, generate understanding of the relative status of each, how they overlap with one another, and how they fare in society relative to the majority of Scottish people.
Such a task does not come without its difficulties and these need careful consideration because it is essential that this exercise is as successful as possible. There are - as this and other research in this area will show - many issues and challenges associated with collecting and collating data on LGBT issues. There is also a palpable need to ensure that the needs, requirements and wishes of LGBT people - as well as policy makers - are encapsulated in any research programme. This study was commissioned to address these two issues and this report examines the perspectives of LGBT organisations about what the Scottish LGBT research agenda should be, and how it should be carried forward.
1.2 Objectives of the research
In its original conception, this research formed the second part of a three part research study. The three components as originally envisaged were:
1. An international review of existing data sources and research, focusing specifically on research methods used to gather data on LGBT communities;
2. Group discussions with representatives of LGBT organisations in Scotland;
3. Depth interviews with policy makers, researchers and academics.
The main focus of the study, then, was to explore current existence of and need for data on sexual orientation. It had five broad aims:
to identify policy areas and specific issues where research of this type is considered lacking;
to identify the types of research needs that exist in these policy areas;
to pinpoint the barriers and facilitators to exploring LGBT issues through mainstream policy research in Scotland;
to describe and critically discuss methods which have been used previously to gather data on LGBT communities internationally;
to suggest future options for the collection of data on LGBT communities in Scotland.
It was decided that in meeting these aims, the research should draw upon the expertise of three stakeholder groups:
LGBT organisations - to identify policy priorities surrounding equality and highlight gaps in current information relating to these;
Researchers and academics - to discuss what data exists and whether/how data could be obtained in future; and
Policy makers - to consider what information is needed to formulate inclusive policy on the issues of priority to LGBT communities.
This is a report on the consultation with LGBT organisations. The review of methodologies is reported in a separate publication.
5 The final component - the work with policy makers, researchers and academics - will be discussed with the project advisory group, to build on the work of the first two reports.
This stage of the research involved qualitative research with representatives of LGBT organisations in Scotland. It was carried out by the
National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). It concerned the first three objectives outlined above - to identify policy areas where research is considered lacking, to identify the types of research needed on these topics and to elucidate the barriers to research on LGBT issues in Scotland, as well as their solutions. Qualitative research was of particular value given the exploratory and consultative nature of the research. The interactive probing and questioning methods allowed flexibility in the structure and content of discussions, which facilitated exploration of views and opinion in a way that was responsive to the accounts of individual representatives. This was essential for the investigative approach that the study required.
1.3 Sample design
The ability to draw wider inference from qualitative research depends, to some extent, on the nature and quality of the sampling. The rationale in selecting those to be included in a sample is to ensure diversity of coverage across certain key variables rather than to compile one that is statistically representative of the wider population. Purposive sampling of this kind provides the opportunity to identify a range of factors, influences and experiences underlying the research question.
Given the relatively small number of LGBT organisations in Scotland - approximately 80 - it was decided to invite all available organisations to participate in the study. Though conscious that not every organisation would be able to attend the groups, the uniqueness of many of the organisations - either in the people it represented or the locality in which it was situated - made it difficult to design an effective purposive sample. The diversity in the achieved sample is therefore only limited in the extent to which organisations were able to attend the discussions. 41 organisations were represented across 9 group discussions. While this represents just over half of the LGBT organisations known to the Equality Network - one of Scotland's national LGBT organisations - most constituencies are, nevertheless, broadly represented within the achieved sample - with a good balance of urban and rural perspectives from the various sub-groups existing under the LGBT banner.
The number of participants in the research, however, was in excess of 41. National or large organisations sometimes sent representatives to more than one group discussion. Equally, smaller organisations were also sometimes represented by more than one person - at times to the same discussion. This was sometimes related to an individual's need for support or encouragement within a discursive forum - or in the case of Transgender groups - the perception that it was sometimes unsafe to travel alone. In addition, a few individuals without any official affiliation to an LGBT organisation also attended some of the groups. These included owners or managers of LGBT commercial establishments, freelance consultants or activists on LGBT issues, and researchers from the LGBT communities. Their inclusion within the sample was unforeseen, but has undoubtedly added to the richness of the data collected.
Some voices have clearly not been captured because they do not have representation in the form of a Scottish organisation, and no relevant spokesperson was identified during recruitment. For example, no organisations were identified that represent the views of disabled LGBT people in Scotland, nor the opinions of minority ethnic LGBT people. Consequently, issues pertaining to these constituencies are likely to be under-represented in this report.
A full list of all the organisations consulted in the research is included in
Appendix I.
1.4 Recruitment
The Equality Network was commissioned by the Scottish Executive to conduct the recruitment and organisation of the focus groups in collaboration with
NatCen. First, a letter was sent from the Equality Network to all LGBT groups on their mailing list (approximately eighty). This explained the purpose of the study and introduced
NatCen as the research contractor. This was then followed by a telephone call to arrange for a representative to attend one of the nine group discussions.
Recruitment of the community organisations was not an easy task. Many of the groups that were approached are without physical premises or paid staff. This can make it difficult to deal with requests to participate in research. Some groups - particularly peer support groups - meet infrequently and may not have received the invitation in time to arrange for a representative to attend the groups. In general, particularly in the cities where the groups were held, local networks, personal and professional affiliations helped to spread the word to relevant organisations and individuals - often those that were invited made sure that they passed on details of the discussion to other relevant parties. To this end, it was common for some representatives to just turn up at discussions, without any prior notification to either the Equality Network or
NatCen.
1.5 Conduct of the research
Nine group discussions were held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness - but drew people from a much broader set of locations both within and outwith the central belt. The groups were conducted in November and December 2001.
Groups were held in the evening or during the day at weekends. They took place within meeting rooms supplied by community organisations, in hotels or other neutral meeting spaces. Groups varied considerably in size - but most contained approximately six participants. Where necessary, representatives were reimbursed of their travel expenses incurred in attending the groups.
Group discussions were exploratory and interactive in form, based on a topic guide that was developed in consultation with the advisory group. This listed the key themes to be covered, and the subtopics within each to be explored. They were all tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. A copy of the topic guide used is
Appendix II.
1.6 Data analysis
The qualitative data was comprehensively and systematically analysed. Verbatim transcripts of the group discussions were analysed using 'Framework' a qualitative data analysis method, developed at
NatCen, which uses a thematic approach to classify and interpret data. It is a systematic and transparent method of analysis that enhances the validity and reliability in interpretative findings.
Framework involves a number of stages. First, the key topics and issues that emerge from the data are identified through familiarisation with transcripts. Following this a framework of key issues is then devised. A series of thematic charts, or matrices, is set up, each one relating to a different thematic issue. The columns in each matrix represent the key sub-themes or topics whilst the rows represent individual respondents. Data from each respondent is summarised into the appropriate cell. The context of the information is retained and the page of the transcript from which it comes noted, so that it is possible to return to a transcript to explore a point in more detail or to extract text for verbatim quotation.
In this way, the data are ordered within an analytical framework that is grounded in respondents' own accounts. The charts allow the full pattern of an individual's attitudes and behaviour to be reviewed. They also display the range of views or behaviours described by respondents, and allow the accounts of different respondents, or groups of respondents, to be compared and contrasted.
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1.7 The structure of the report
Throughout the report, verbatim passages from transcripts are presented. To preserve the anonymity of respondents, specific details - such as names or places - that might identify respondents, have been omitted or changed. Each quotation is assigned to either a regional or central belt group, and to the type of organisation that the person represented.
The report begins by outlining the key issues of policy and practice that were raised during group discussions. Chapter 3 develops this discussion by exploring the research priorities evident within each of these areas. Here the value of research is also discussed. The following chapter focuses upon the conduct of research (Chapter 4). Here issues concerning methodology, competency, and participation are discussed, alongside views about who is best placed to carry out research amongst LGBT communities. Chapter 5 discusses the two issues raised in relation to co-ordination of research: the commissioning of research on LGBT issues in Scotland, and the dissemination of results. The final chapter summarises the research findings and reflects on the main conclusions of the study.
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