RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

Inequality of Women in the Military

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Qualitative research methods2

Case Study2

Phenomenological research3

Grounded Theory3

Comparison and contrast of Qualitative Research methods4

Synthesis of Qualitative Research methods7

Issues associated with sample selection8

Sample Selection8

Validity9

Bias10

Conclusion11

References13

Inequality of Women in the Military

Introduction

There have been long standing perplexities and arguments about women in the military for several decades, the issue of women in the military circumvents physical and emotional distracters; such as safety, physical strength, sexism, pregnancy and emotional attachments. Subsequently, the above-mentioned concerns pose the question should women serve in the military when there are known disparities, barriers and hardship in which they and their family have to endure. The proponents of exclusion of women from the military often place their arguments in the framework of unequivocal abilities of women stamina, emotions, and women's ability to lead. For centuries, theologians have utilized the content of the bible to justify the inequality of women. Research has been conducted to justify the disparity between men and women. Authors present insurmountable evidences from a biblical perspective on gender roles as detailed in the biblical era from the old and New Testament depicting why women should not serve in military and be treated equal and justifying it with outdated facts.

Women have long been identified as peaceful creatures and the nurturing gender. This is just the perception about women. Women were defined with prescribed roles; homemaker, mother and wife. Males are typically thought of as violent, strong and aggressive in nature. However, despite the popular notion of these differences in nature and attitude of men and women, there has been debate as to whether these differences in nature are a function of genetic predisposition or learned behavior. History reveals that the American women made major contributions in World War II and World War I. during the two world wars; women not only participated in the economic activities but also took an active part in the war. They were a part of various auxiliary organizations for the military. They were a major contributor in facilitating the release of many soldiers and played non-combative functions for the military.

Women are continually being excluded from certain positions, “systematically denied the highest and most prestigious positions in the uniformed military-they are stymied by a brass ceiling” (Zeigler & Gunderson 2005, p.44). Research has been conducted throughout the years, using a different methodology and research design. The methodological I chose in which I believe will give women soldier a voice is qualitative methodology. In this paper, I will compare and contrast three qualitative methods of research. These are case study research method, phenomenological research method and the grounded theory method of research. On the basis of this comparison, I will decide which one of the three methods is most suitable for the chosen topic for research.

Qualitative research methods

Case Study

According to Stake (1995), the case study as a research method is an inquiry strategy where the researcher studies and explores a program, activity process or an event that has been conducted on ...