A Look at Research

Hey all! I hope everyone is doing wonderfully and staying healthy. This week I will be analyzing the research I have collected so far for my autoethnography (on Christianity). I have conducted 2 out of my 4 interviews, and have gathered all of my secondary research so now’s the time to start analyzing it! Let’s get right to it.

1. How does my primary research (interviews) compare to the secondary research (articles) I conducted? My primary research yields some different and some similar results compared to preexisting information. For example, both my interviewees agreed that there are assumptions about Christians. My secondary research fills in the gaps of my primary research, making my project more well-rounded. I am including articles about other misconceptions of Christianity in my project so my audience can learn about other assumptions that my interviewees do not discuss. For the most part, the interviewee responses do not necessarily dis/prove any existing theories or opinions because my questions are about individuals’ experiences. One thing maybe that their responses have proven is that there are misconceptions about the Christian community, and that they are harmful.
2. In looking at the responses from my interviews… there is some overlap in the responses, but not much. They are different because one is 19 years old and the other is 50 years old. They grew up in different states and at different times, meaning their life experiences are very different. Their responses overlapped when confirming that they both believe in Jesus being the Son of God and that misconceptions about Christians exist. When discussing misconceptions, they both mentioned how the media portrays Christians and how the media is the source of many assumptions. One difference I found interesting was that my second interviewee prefers being called a “follower of Christ” not a “Christian,” and she explains why in the interview. Otherwise, there were no “outliers” in my research.
3. What does it all mean? The responses from my interviewees led me to conclude that many people have their own definition of Christianity. There is no “universal” Christian, even if there are shared beliefs. It is a nuanced identity and in order to understand what it means to each person, I need to sit down and talk to that person. I still have two more interviews this coming week so I will see what else I learn. I am wondering if they define Christianity differently compared to my first two subjects, and if they have heard of certain assumptions about Christians that have not been mentioned yet.

Clarissa