Post on 12-Apr-2017
“How was the last 2 years of
your life?”
Shauna Ayres
Bridget Hochwalt
Elizabeth Orlan
Hannah Pettus
Ashley Phillips
GROUP
Qualitative Research MethodsApril 19, 2016
1. How does the Peace Corps experience affect the identity of returned volunteers?
2. How does the Peace Corps experience affect relationshipsof returned volunteers?
3. How do Peace Corps volunteers describe their transition back to the U.S. after service?
Research Questions:
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 3
MethodsRecruitment:
Flyers
Emails to RPCVs for referrals
Screener survey
Sampling approach
Interviewed people who fit the recruitment criteria
Purposive/quota sample
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 4
Sample Characteristics
Return Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)
Attending UNC-CH
Returned within 6 Years
23 years of age
3 males, 7 females
Southeast Asia, Central America, Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 5
LowImmersion
♀ sexual harassmentImmersion
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 9
success with community projects
Changing Relationships
“I feel like I’d like to return but I don’t know how, a lot of times. Umm my students…there’s a handful of them who stay very connected via Facebook ….Umm they’re very attached to social media I get to see pictures of them, I’ve seen many of their successes which has been nice. Many of them went on to like teacher college or nursing college umm some have families now. and I love seeing their pictures. So Facebook has been some what of a window, but I also feel that I know certain students are probably still struggling, and there isn’t anyone there for them so…."
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 12
Changing Relationships (continued)
Before
“...it’s just nice to have someone who kind of knows what you’re going through,
you know? You can talk about it and things.”
After
“...we had that same shared experience that we were going through, and now we’re allgoing through different things… it’s still a
really great friendship (right) but there is, it’s very different, very different."
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 13
Transition“People...Peace Corps, they're always kind of like, ‘Oooh what do I do with the
transition and the culture shock?’ and all that is bullshit. Like, ya need to worry about getting money. Like, we come back, we'll have no job. Nobody had a job
when they came out of Peace Corps. Nobody. And they're all worried about like, ‘Ooh what's the food gonna taste like?’ Dumb stuff...Like, you'll be fine. Your body will not
forget what an apple tastes like. Your bank account will forget what it's...you know...what it's like to have money in it.”
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 14
Transition
“And, um, or, like, getting in the shower the first time. I remember that, that getting me… It was, I almost couldn’t run it ‘cause it just
made me feel so, like, gave me so much anxiety to see all that water coming out. Um…. Yeah, I’d say it didn’t start feeling more normal
until, like, a year probably back.”
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 15
Transition
“Seeing what people were, thought were important was really strange. Went on a trip with some friends and there was like five of us in the car
and everyone was staring at their new iPhone and I never…(laughs) never played on an iPhone before didn’t know how it worked yet
everyone was looking at it instead of talking and I was like what the fuck is going on? What could you possibly be looking at?” (laughs)
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 16
Transition
“I distinctly remember, first day back […] my parents pick me up from the airport, and they’re like, we’re going to go to the grocery store
‘cus you need some things […] and I like could not handle it, I could not handle it, there were too many options, I was starting to get
headache, there’s just too much stimulation everywhere. My parents were like “you’re like a caveman.”
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 17
Limitations
• Lack of experience doing qualitative research
• Underrepresented male population
• Limited thematic saturation
• Need for deeper investigation
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 19
Implications
• Need for PC as an institution to provide more support for RPCVs in the transition home.
• Share diverse experiences with PC recruits
Introduction Methods Results Discussion 20
• Be sensitive to the experiences of RPCVs