Deliberative discussions as a research method: A qualitative and mixed methods approach to exploring young Europeans’ identities and values

Abstract

This article examines the use of deliberative discussions as a method of analysing the geo-political affiliations and values of young people. Exploring such areas through traditional interviews and questionnaires can present problems in that they can unduly prompt answers. Using open-ended and loosely structured discussions can allow the generation of ideas and views in the particular vocabulary and context of participants using non-directive open-ended questions. The qualitative data generated by such an approach can be very unstructured, but has the value of being generated by participants without using stimuli that sometimes induce responses that are unreliable. This article focuses on the principles of conducting and managing discussion processes to maximise the potential usefulness of the data. Two investigations are outlined. The first uses data from deliberative discussions in a qualitative study of how young Europeans (aged between 10 and 20) variously describe themselves as members of a state/states, and/or of Europe, a particular locality or as global. The second study uses the same data, but in a mixed methods approach that included a quantitative analysis of the young people’s use of values in explaining and illustrating particular affiliations. Deliberative discussion as a process is analysed and defined in some practical detail, with suggestions as to procedures that may elicit the most useful detail using the participants own ‘natural’ language.