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Appendix 4 Stage 3 topic guide
Topic guide
Scottish Executive - Ethnic Identity
Data Providers
Aims of the project - Overall aim: To inform the development
of a classification of ethnic identity
which would be acceptable to individuals
whilst providing data users with an
approach that meets their needs
- Examine how individuals classify
themselves
- Explore the reasoning behind such
classifications and perceptions of why
questions on ethnicity are asked
- Examine the adequacy of current methods
of classification and attitudes towards
these
- Explore other ways of classifying data
on ethnicity - single vs. multiple
questions
Examine ideas for consultation approaches
about ethnic identity classification frameworks
in the future |
10. INTRODUCTION
- About
BMRB
- About the research
- Commissioned by the Scottish Executive to examine
issues relating to ethnic identity and how people see
themselves
- Two parts - asking data providers how they would
like to be classified, while asking data users what
their needs are in terms of producing usable data
- Aim is to develop classification that both data
providers and users are happy with
- Length of interview - 60 minutes (up to 2 hours if
an interpreter is being used)
- Confidentiality - from Scottish Executive/data
users
- Tape Recording - tapes not available to the
Scottish Executive but only to the research team
(Note: please record instances where the respondent
has difficulty answering the question, finds it
difficult to provide precise information or is
reluctant to disclose information.)
11. GENERAL BACKGROUND
- Can they tell us a bit about themselves (age,
children, where live, how long lived there etc.)
12. CURRENT PERCEPTIONS OF OWN
ETHNICITY
- What does "ethnicity" mean to them
- How would they describe themselves if someone asked
them about their ethnicity
- Probe on:
- Colour
- Ethnicity
- Country/countries identified with (and
relationship to these
e.g. country of residence, country of
birth, parents'/grandparents' country/ies of
birth)
- Religion/belief
- Language
- Culture
- For all the above, probe for influences
they have and factors they bring in
- Perceptions of whether they feel they have a
"single" ethnic identity versus a "multiple" ethnic
identity"
- Why have they chosen to describe themselves in this
way (ask about categories not used)
- Relative importance of different categories
- Extent to which the way they describe themselves
changes according to who they are with
- Is this just the wording or do they describe
themselves in a different way
- Probe on:
- With people who are of same ethnicity
- With people of different ethnicity
- People own age (of same/different
ethnicity)
- People different ages (of same/different
ethnicity)
- Official context/Formally
- Informally
- What about other people of the same ethnicity -
different ways they describe themselves
- Does this vary with different people
(
e.g. older/younger people)
13. ATTITUDES TOWARDS DATA COLLECTION
- Which organisations can they think of that collect
data on ethnicity
- Views on:
- Why they do this
- What they use it for
- Any variations between organisations they can
remember
- Attitude towards being asked to describe their
ethnicity
- Probe: extent to which this varies according to
the organisation/intended use
- Can they recall any instances when they were asked
to classify their ethnicity
- How did they react
- Adequacy of the categories used
- Attitude towards categories used
- Views on the reason they were asked (was a
reason given)
14. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF DIFFERENT
CLASSIFICATIONS
- Show different methods of classification, one at a
time
- For each method:
- Why do they think data is being
collected like this
- How would they classify
themselves
- What are the strengths of this
classification
- What are the weaknesses of this
classification
- What would they think if they were
asked to classify themselves in this way
- Changes they would make
15. IDEAL METHOD OF CLASSIFYING DATA
PROVIDERS
- If they were designing their ideal method of
classification, what would it be (give respondent a
blank sheet of paper and pen and get them to talk
through each category, why they have chosen to
categorise in this way.
- Explore inconsistencies,
e.g. geographical - "Asian" - categories
vs. colour-based - "Black" - categories).
- Attitude to single vs. multiple
questions on ethnicity.
- Strengths of collecting data in the way they have
designed
- Weaknesses of collecting data in the way they have
designed
- How would they describe themselves according to
this framework
- What would they feel if they were asked to do
this
16. CONSULTATION
PROCESS/METHODS/APPROACH
- Show leaflet
- What do they think about the fact
that there is a consultation process underway
- Views on approach
- How would they suggest people are
asked about their ethnic identity
17. ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS /
QUESTIONS FOR THE RESEARCHER
THANK AND CLOSE
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