Reply to Jennifer Heisler

I also like the way you have analyzed this article by Grenier (2008) on “No Margin for error: a study if two women balancing motherhood and PhD studies“. First, you have acknowledged it as a qualitative study, which is very true because the study is ethnographic research using two women and their experiences are being observed as students and as mothers at the same time. I like the fact that you have brought out the issue of data collection because it is imperative in ethnographic research. Usually, the research should observe the participants directly and may carry out an interview.

For instance, the researcher may opt to collect data from maps or written narratives, but at the same time, may still use a mixture of methods. Data interpretation is critical during the research as it may lead to biasness during the analysis. It is therefore essential that the researcher observe directly within the natural setting where the participants live or involve themselves as the participants. Just like Jennifer, I am also worried about the number of participants in this study, which are fewer than the number of participants in the article that I read “Boxing Culture and Serious Leisure among North-American youth: An Embodied Ethnography” by Ribeiro. This may not be applied to a broader audience like a whole school during the smaller sample size. I like the general discussion of this article, especially how you criticized the limitations and the strengths of this article.