Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T05:26:35.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Displaying opinions: Topics and disagreement in focus groups

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2012

Greg Myers
Greg Myers
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics and Modern English Language, Lancaster University, Lancaster LAI 4YT, UKg.myers@lancaster.uc.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Focus group discussions are now widely used for gathering data, in social science as well as in commercial marketing and public opinion research. One appeal of focus groups is that in some ways they seem like everyday talk, but their effectiveness depends on a tension between the moderator's constraints and participants' interaction. The moderator introduces and defines topics, but participants can shift, close, and interpret them. The moderator elicits disagreement in a way specific to focus groups, but participants manage their disagreement. Thus we see not simple control by the moderator, but a complex collaborative project operating under the shared assumption that the purpose of the discussion is to display opinions to the moderator. These findings extend the analysis of conversation in institutional settings and contribute to a methodological critique of the reification of attitudes and opinions in some social science research. (Focus group techniques, conversation, discourse analysis, interaction, agreement, topic, laughter, environment.)

Type
Research Article
Information
Language in Society , Volume 27 , Issue 1 , March 1998 , pp. 85 - 111
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agar, Michael (1985). Institutional discourse. Text 5: 147–68.Google Scholar
Agar, Michael, & MacDonald, J. (1995). Focus groups and ethnography. Human Organization 54: 78–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Antaki, Charles (1994). Explaining and arguing: The social organization of accounts. London & Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Antaki, Charles, & Rapley, Mark (1996). “Quality of life” talk: The liberal paradox of psychological testing. Discourse and Society 7: 293–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, J. Maxwell (1984). Our masters' voices. London: Methuen.Google Scholar
Atkinson, J. Maxwell, & Drew, Paul (1979). Order in court: The organization of verbal interaction in judicial settings. London: Macmillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Atkinson, J. Maxwell, & Heritage, John (1984), eds. Structures of social action: Studies in conversation analysis. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Beach, Wayne A. (1990). Language as and in technology: Facilitating topic organization in a video-text focus group meeting. In Medurst, Martin J. et al. (eds.). Communication and the culture of technology, 199–219. Pullman, WA: Washington State University Press.Google Scholar
Bertrand, Jane T.; Brown, Judith E.; & Ward, Victoria M. (1992). Techniques for analyzing focus group data. Evaluation Review 16(2): 198–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Billig, Michael (1987). Arguing and thinking: A rhetorical approach to social psychology. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Bilmes, Jack (1988). The concept of preference in conversation analysis. Language in Society 17: 161–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boden, Deirdre (1994). The business of talk. Cambridge:Polity.Google Scholar
Boden, Deirdre, & Zimmerman, Don H. (1991), eds. Talk and social structure. Cambridge: Polity.Google Scholar
Brown, Gillian, & Yule, George (1983). Discourse analysis. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, Penelope, & Levinson, Stephen (1987). Politeness. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, Jacquelin; Limb, M.; & Harrison, Caroline M. (1988). Exploring environmental values through the medium of small groups:l, Theory and practice. Environment and Planning A 20: 309–26, 457–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burningham, Kate (1995). Attitudes, accounts, and impact assessment. Sociological Review 43: 100–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burningham, Kate, & O'Brien, Martin (1994). Global environmental values and local contexts of action. Sociology 28: 913–932.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Button, Graham, & Casey, Neil (1984). Generating topic: The use of topic-initial elicitors. In Atkinson, & Heritage, (eds.), 167–190.Google Scholar
Button, Graham, & Lee, John R. E. (1987), eds. (1987), eds. Talk and social organisation. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Catterall, C, & Maclaran, P. (1997). Focus group data and qualitative analysis programs: Coding the moving picture as well as the snapshots. Sociological Research Online 2(1). <http://socresonline.org.uk/socresonline/2/1/6.html>CrossRef>Google Scholar
Clayman, Stuart (1991). Displaying neutrality in television news interviews. In Scannell, Paddy (ed.), Broadcast talk, 48–75. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Drew, Paul, & Heritage, John (1993), eds. Talk at work. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Edwards, Derek (1997). Discourse and cognition. London:Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, Derek, & Potter, Jonathan (1992). Discursive psychology. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Gilbert, Nigel, & Mulkay, Michael (1984). Opening Pandora's box: An analysis of scientists' discourse. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Goodwin, Charles, & Goodwin, Marjorie Harness (1992). Assessments and the construction of context. In Duranti, Alessandro & Goodwin, Charles (eds.), Rethinking context: Language as an interactive phenomenon,147–90. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Greatbatch, David (1988). A tum-taking system for British news interviews. Language in Society 17: 401–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartford, Beverly S., & Bardovi-Harlig, Kathleen (1992). Closing the conversation: Evidence from the academic advising session. Discourse Processes 15: 93–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heritage, John (1984). Garfinkel and ethnomethodology. Cambridge: Polity.Google Scholar
Heritage, John (1985). Analysing news interviews: Aspects of the production of talk for an overhearing audience. In van Dijk, Teun (ed.), Handbook of discourse analysis, 95–117. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Hoijer, Birgitta (1990). Studying viewers' reception of television programmes: Theoretical and methodological considerations. European Journal of Communication 5: 29–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holbrook, Beverley, & Jackson, Peter (1996). Shopping around: Focus group research in North London. Area 28(2): 136–42.Google Scholar
Hughes, Diane, & DuMont, kimberly (1993). Using focus groups to facilitate culturally anchored research. American Journal of Community Psychology 21: 775–806.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchby, Ian (1992). The pursuit of controversy: Routine skepticism in talk on “talk radio.” Sociology 26: 673–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, Peter, & Holbrook, Beverley (1995). Multiple meanings: Shopping and the cultural politics of identity. Environment and Planning A 2: 1913–30.Google Scholar
Jefferson, Gail (1984a). On stepwise transition from talk about trouble to inappropriately next-positioned matters. In Atkinson, & Heritage, , eds., 191–222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jefferson, Gail (1984b). On the organisation of laughter in talk about troubles. In Atkinson, & Heritage, (eds.), 346–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jefferson, Gail; Sacks, Harvey; & Schegloff, Emanuel (1987). Notes on laughter in the pursuit of intimacy. In Button, & Lee, (eds.), Talk and social organisation, 152–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitzinger, Jenny (1994). The methodology of focus groups: The importance of interaction between research participants. Sociology of Health and Illness 16: 103–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitzinger, Jenny (1995). Introducing focus groups. British Medical Journal 311: 299–302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kotthoff, Helga (1993). Disagreement and concession in disputes: On the context sensitivity of preference structures. Language in Society 22: 193–216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krueger, Richard A. (1994). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research. 2nd ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Larrue, Janine, & Trognon, Alain (1993). Organization of turn-taking and mechanisms for turn-taking repairs in a chaired meeting. Journal of Pragmatics 19: 177–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, David A., & Peck, Jennifer J. (1995). Troubled waters: Argument as sociability revisited. Language in Society 24: 29–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levinson, Stephen (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacGregor, Brent, & Morrison, David E. (1995). From focus groups to editing groups: A new method of reception analysis. Media, Culture & Society 17: 141–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macnaghten, Phil, & Urry, John (1997). Contested natures. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Macnaghten, Phil; Grove-White, Robin; Jacobs, Michael; & Wynne, Brian (1995). Public perceptions and sustainability in Lancashire: Indicators, institutions, perceptions. Lancaster: Centre for the Study of Environmental Change.Google Scholar
Maynard, Douglas W. (1980). Placement of topic changes in conversation. Semiotica 30: 263–290.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maynard, Douglas W., & dayman, Stuart (1991). The diversity of ethnomethodology. Annual Review of Sociology 17: 385–418.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merton, Robert K. (1987). The focussed interview and focus groups: Continuities and discontinuities. Public Opinion Quarterly 51: 550–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merton, Robert K., & Kendall, Patricia L. (1946). The focused interview. American Journal of Sociology 51: 541–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, David L. (1988). Focus groups as qualitative research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Morgan, David L, (1993), ed. Successful focus groups: Advancing the state of the art. Newbury Park, C A: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgan, David L., & Krueger, Richard A. (1993). Introduction. In Morgan, (ed.), 3–19.Google Scholar
Morley, David (1992). Television audiences and cultural studies. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Myers, Greg, & Macnaghten, Phil (1997). Rhetorics of sustainability: Persuasion, participation, and action. Environment and Planning A, to appear.Google Scholar
Myers, Greg, (1998b). Can focus groups be analyzed as talk? In Kitzinger, Jenny & Barbour, Rosalcen (eds.), Focus groups in research, to appear. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Pomerantz, Anita (1984). Agreeing and disagreeing with assessments: Some features of preferred/ dispreferred turn shapes. In Atkinson, & Heritage, (eds.), 57–101.Google Scholar
Potter, Jonathan (1996). Representing reality. London: Sage.Google Scholar
Potter, Jonathan, & Wetherell, Margaret (1987). Discourse and social psychology. Beverly Hills. CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Psathas, George (1979). Everyday language: Studies in ethnomethodology. New York: Irvington.Google Scholar
Rothenberg, Randall (1994). Where the suckers moon: An advertising story. New York: Knopf.Google Scholar
Sacks, Harvey (1987). On the preferences for agreement and contiguity in sequences in conversation. In Button, & Lee, (eds.), 54–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sacks, Harvey (1992). Lectures on conversation. 2 vols. Ed. by Jefferson, Gail. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Scannell, Paddy (1991), ed. Broadcast talk. London & Newbury Park: Sage.Google Scholar
Schegloff, Emanuel, & Sacks, Harvey (1973). Opening up closings. Semiotica 8: 289–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiffrin, Deborah (1984). Jewish argument as sociability. Language in Society 13: 311–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiffrin, Deborah (1987). Discourse markers. Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schiffrin, Deborah (1996). Narrative as self-portrait: Sociolinguistic constructions of identity. Language in Society 25: 167–203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seiter, E.; Borchers, H.; Kreutzner, G.; & Warth, E. M. (1990), eds. Remote control: Television, audiences, and cultural power. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Silverman, David (1993). Interpreting qualitative data: Methods for analysing talk, text, and interaction. London & Thousand Oaks: Sage.Google Scholar
Taylor, Talbot, & Cameron, Deborah (1987). Analysing conversation: Rules and units in the structure of talk. Oxford: Pergamon.Google Scholar