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Qualitative Research in Asia

Julia Gartside-Spink (UK)

Interviews taken by Piyul Mukherjee with Qualitative Researchers Worldwide

Are you a member of AQR? I guess everyone in QRCA will want to know how does the experience of being part of these two organizations compare?

Yes I am, and find them both helpful in different ways. Historically, a lot of Europeans had poor opinions of US qualitative work. When I joined QRCA I found that to be very much unfounded, a viewpoint which I think has become generally acknowledged since then, not least because of increased interaction through the QRCA/AQR links. In my view QRCA is a very open organization, in which people feel comfortable to share knowledge and experiences and provide support. I think that AQR has positively learned from this, adopting more open sessions in their seminars & Trends Days, for instance. But both organizations are very much led by their members, and I have always found that most qual researchers are very mutually supportive, interesting characters, which makes any gathering fun!

With the number of international projects you have worked on, how do you ensure consistency / continuity? How important is it for one person/ team to attend the groups or interviews everywhere? Especially in West versus ‘non-West’ cultures?

To me, the key to successful multinational projects is working with partners in each country whom I have got to know and trust, who know how I work, and can deliver in a style which meets the “centralizing” project needs whilst standing up for and remaining loyal to their local culture.

Clients often approach the larger multinational marketing research agencies, those with offices in many countries, for international studies - how do you feel about that?

Especially in qualitative, what are the advantages or pitfalls, then? To me, it comes down to the individual moderator, and certainly in the UK few excellent moderators work for large companies. As a research buyer I’d go every time for smaller agencies that have a strong, long-standing network of reliable partners. I’ve also found that you get closer attention throughout the project with more senior, experienced researchers by working with smaller agencies. But there’s always a market for playing safe with the “Big Boys.” As the saying used to go in the 80’s, “No-one ever got fired for choosing IBM” - though, look what happened to them in the 90’s!

Everyone talks of sociology, anthropology etc. as related disciplines. If you could choose one totally unrelated field that we can use - which would you suggest?

Common sense! I think that you can take inspiration from everything you come across. I often have my epiphany of interpretation/ understanding when I’ve been doing utterly unrelated tasks and not been consciously thinking about a problem. That’s the difficulty with the tight deadlines that everyone expects now though. Too often you don’t get the time to stand back and properly evolve your thoughts.

How do you like to unwind after a busy day / a completed project?

I like to do something physically active. Downhill skiing is my favourite, but I have an aim to try at least two totally new challenging experiences a year. The latest were white water rafting, canyoning, and motorbike riding. Not sure what comes next! Failing anything more available, I’ll walk my dog: thankfully there are lots of green, open spaces and the River Thames near where I live.

If you weren’t a QRC, what would you ideally have liked to be? Which are some of the exciting professions to pursue nowadays -- and that you may have discussed with your teenage children at home--?

In all honesty I have enjoyed my career - it has evolved with me along the stages of my life! I find it rather scary that so many graduates now drift around in low-level jobs unsure what they want to do. Freedom of choice is a great thing, but it can be paralyzing too.

Referencing your introduction on the QRCA Forum Party, please tell us a bit more of life with teenagers!

I have two daughters ages 15 & 12. They keep me “grounded,” for sure. Being a single working mum can be tough, but it does mean that you keep a degree of balance in your life. I now appreciate the ability to take time out to share things with my kids. We had just the best time on a safari holiday to Botswana last year [See photo, below]. They both love animals, and the challenge of camping in the wild brought out the best in them. They weren’t even bothered when we got stuck in sand drifts across a track (laughingly called a “road”) and had to dig the vehicle out every few hundred yards! Though I’m not a fan of my “taxi-mum” role, at least I get to see who they are with and where, especially as the elder one is on to the teenage parties, drinking, boys. I just shudder when I recall what I got up to at that age! One day I may tell them….

Your favourite movie; book / author (and why)?

I love to read but have too little time for it. My latest favourite is Margaret Forster’s Diary of an Ordinary Woman, which is a fabulous journey though the life of a woman (English) born in 1901. It touches on many events and issues - interesting and well written.

Your favourite city -- and the places to eat in it; the food?

I best love exploring new places and cultures, that curiosity is what makes me love international work! So I don’t especially enjoy revisiting the same city. Actually I’m more of a “country girl” - give me sea, mountains, rivers, any time. Favourite spot is at the top of a mountain relaxing with a beer in the sun before skiing back down a challenging run. That said, I had a fantastic time in New Orleans for the last QRCA Conference. A mad place where they sure know how to party!

If you could be reborn in the past, which era would you choose, and why?

As a woman, my time was just right! We had the potential to do pretty much anything, but many benefits of being female…but don’t get me discussing sexual politics!

If I asked you, 50 years from now, what will the world recall with nostalgia about the current times -- the early years of this century -- what would you say?

I’ll be contentious on this one. The belief that Western culture dominates and that America can solve the problems of the world. Just wait 10-20 years as China develops and Asia takes off….

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