Secrets

I think of LA's attitude last Friday. She did not want to be recorded. She was very hesitant at first about being interviewed. It took about 30 minutes. She did not want to grant me access to her bosses. I asked if I could observe classes but she probably did not have any authority to let me do so. I think also of LD's general suspicious behaviour when I was at TQ's TC some weeks back. These women were perhaps once DWs themselves, and as such being suspicious of others, operating in the shadows are probably techniques of survival hard earned. I think of my dad's mom and how she coped with being at a disadvantage, being at the mercy of others, being at the mercy of men.

Subterfuge

What the respondents don't know won't hurt them. I think the PIS has been a handicap for me. It is scaring people off.

Steering the Interview

A bit of a challenge steering the interview. I realise I waste quite a bit of time letting respondents talk about what they want in the beginning. LS liked to talk about his political-economic conjectures. He seemed to like being seen as an expert and was more than eager to demonstrate his knowledge of the field. He frequently referred to his economist friends, the policymaking circles in which he moved. LdM and RC did no such thing. LdM was more amenable to being steered, although he did insist that we see his company's corporate powerpoint presentation. RC insisted that he did not deploy DWs. He was eager to establish himself as clean and a cut above the rest. He also brought up 'following the law' or 'rules and regulations' more than once.


All my respondents so far want to talk about rules and regulations. Quite a challenge to steer them away from that and to just talk about the nitty-gritty of recruitment. I have to keep it close to procedures and micropolitics of the everyday. Have to steer clear of the state for now.

More Strategy

Just thought of something I might try. I am having some difficulty recruiting TCs. What if I go through the TESDA route? Go through TESDA first and then get referrals. Ask TESDA who their top and trusted performers are.

Strategy

Thought of a non-threatening way to enroll participants. Citing their having been awarded by the POEA as the reason I approached them.

Intentions

My intentions are always suspect, especially given the sensitivity of the plight of domestic workers. I should make a conscious effort of being pro-recruiter. Otherwise I will not gain access.

Scared of the PIS?

Some of my enrollees from December have not replied to my re-contact. I am wondering whether the official-sounding PIS scared them? Or is it the over-long introductory message? I should probably make it shorter and more direct-to-the-point. Same goes for the Bahasa version.

The lone TC also seems to be jittery. I texted both the engineer and his aunt yesterday. No reply.

Details

Twenty minutes into the transcription, I have four pages. I just realised the answers he gave me do not have the level of detail I am looking for. These answers tell me what RAs are, their concerns, their problems with government. They do not tell me what they do. I have to concentrate on that in the next interview. Perhaps I should take another look at my interview guide.

Order of Interviews

Of course it matters the order of interviews. Given that I don't have full approval yet I figure I'd start with NGOs because they are relatively uncontroversial and I don't expect to get into trouble. Unconsciously perhaps I think they are safe ground because they are familiar. I worked for an NGO after all, and of my three main subjects, I identify with them the most.

I wonder now though whether it would be prudent to interpserse interviews. The next one should be a government official or a recruiter. Ideally of course, but unlikely to happen unless I get IRB approval this week.

First transcription

I timed myself while transcribing. Five minutes of recording = thirteen minutes of transcription. Not bad.

First Interview

Conducted my first interview today. I arrived a little earlier than scheduled but the interviewee was ok with it. It lasted about 1 hour and a half - it was pretty exhausting, and all I did was listen and ask some questions. I think 2 hours is pushing it. I offered a break mid-way, but he declined so we just went on. Next time I'll offer the break at 45 minutes. It will give me some time to go over the notes and think of avenues to pursue. I hardly had time to think about and reflect on what he was saying. I suspect I'll have more questions once I start transcribing. I forgot to bring a name card. I'll make it a practice to ask for referrals. I may have a good lead with an Indonesian research institute.

ETA

I realise when I am scribbling notes, it shouldn't be what is already being said (as I'm already recording it). It should probably be:
1. Some general topics brought up
2. Follow-up questions depending on what is being said

The Science Question

The devil is in the details. Never has this expression been more relevant in my life than now. The IRB is asking another set of questions. There is a dedicated group of people in the university whose job it is to suggest modifications in the conduct of research. The end point of course is to make sure that subject welfare is looked after. The way the discipline is configured today, I doubt many have to go through the IRB stage. My own supervisor worked with documents. Rare is the political scientist - let alone of the IR sort - who works with people. If you include the human element, how can you even talk 'objective' science? The precautions being taken by the IRB presumes that I, the researcher, could not possibly occupy that archimedean point. The way they are asking questions means they expect me  - the researcher - to disturb the environment.

Waiting for IRB Approval

Still waitin for IRB approval. But I am already lining up interviews with NGOs. I figure it should be ok. They're not a crucial component of my data generation.

Chasing Data

I found a new way of looking for recruiters who deploy domestic workers - through JobsDB! Checking now whether this works in the Indonesian version. So far no dice.