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Focus Groups and Marginalized Populations

Focus Groups and Marginalized Populations. Eben Friedman European Centre for Minority Issues friedman@ecmi.de. What are focus groups?. Basic components:. Small group of people (usually 4-12) Non-threatening environment Skilled moderator Intensive and carefully planned discussion.

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Focus Groups and Marginalized Populations

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  1. Focus Groups andMarginalized Populations Eben Friedman European Centre for Minority Issues friedman@ecmi.de

  2. What are focus groups? Basic components: • Small group of people (usually 4-12) • Non-threatening environment • Skilled moderator • Intensive and carefully planned discussion

  3. Why (not) focus groups? Advantages: • Relatively rich qualitative data • Intelligibility to participants • Peer-group security

  4. Why (not) focus groups? Disadvantages: • Non-random sampling • Limited researcher control • Groupthink • Labor intensive

  5. Focus groups and marginalized populations • Even where quality statistical data are available, the “bare facts” rarely speak for themselves. • Focus groups can supplement analysis of available statistical data with intensive stakeholder consultation. • Focus groups do not require that the moderator be a member of the population from which the participants are drawn.

  6. Toward Regional Guidelinesfor theIntegration of Roms

  7. Toward regional guidelines… June 2003: Sida commissions and finances an assessment of the needs of the Romani population in the Republic of Macedonia. September – November 2003: ECMI conducts needs assessment, making use of existing organizational infrastructure. The purpose of the project is to lay the groundwork for a set of guidelines to increase the level of integration of Roms in Macedonia’s general population. In addition to focusing on the Romani population in general, the evaluation attends to the position of Romani women relative both to Romani men and to the non-Romani population. The design of the needs assessment and the issues covered by it are broadly applicable to other countries in the region, and a similar initiative is currently underway in Serbia and Montenegro.

  8. Needs for assessment (Data from 2002 census) Unofficial figures from Romani NGOs indicate that Roms are more than 6 % • Discrepancy between census figures and informed estimates of size of Romani population • Underestimating size of Romani population at census increases likelihood of overestimating unemployment and involvement in criminal activity among Roms • Absence of global needs assessment on Roms

  9. Project Activities September 2003 DATA COLLECTION • State Statistical Office • Ministries of: Education, Health, Interior, Justice, Social Welfare • State Employment Bureau • UNICEF • OSCE • UNHCR • Internet November 2003 October 2003 • FOCUS GROUPS • Contact with local NGOs for each region    • Organizing focus groups in 6 ECMI Regional NGO Resource Centres in Macedonia • Preparation of transcripts from focus groups Analysis and Reporting

  10. Focus Groups Education 02.10.03 Civil Rights 14.10.03 Education Health Women and Girls 30.09.03 07.10.03 04.11.03 Employment 28.10.03 Health Civil Rights 09.10.03 16.10.03 Employment 30.10.03

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