From Walden University’s mission and vision, social change refers societal transformation on culture, mannerisms and norms, societal institutions, and social organization within some time. The social change that Walden University seeks at impacting on its students’ knowledge and skills that are requisite for positive societal transformation in whatever capacity they would be serving in. Walden’s objective is to attract students whose ideology focuses on social change, and equipping these students with applicable tools for leadership and effecting a positive difference within their neighborhoods, career-paths, communities, and the world at large (“Social Change| Walden University,” n.d.). Thus, the curriculum on education and health engages the students for this purpose. This paper discusses qualitative research for a societal change and reflects on how qualitative research influences research and direction of doctoral study.
As a Walden doctorate candidate, social change implies positively transforming the environment or community around me by applying education that I have gained to social challenges and opportunities. It refers to the need to use knowledge and skills acquired over the schooling process in addressing existing and emerging social needs. I envisage education making me a herald of social change in the society and the world at large and making the world a better place. The experience from this course that has influenced my understanding is the ability that it offers for an emic perspective of the society that a research project covers. Emic perspective enables the researcher to be empathic to the society or community within which the project at hand will cover. This experience makes it able to understand the impact that the research will have on its consummation (kayla.delano, 2017). The critical processes aimed at self-reflection not only make any step of the research be focused on bettering the lives of others but also has pertinent personal advantages to the researcher.
After taking this course, I would like to know more about systematic data collection and analysis that seeks to understand the causes of societal need that we need to redress and aid in coming up with the best interventions to deal with them. As I seek to know more on systematic data collection and analysis, this would require vast skills not only in the field but also in the analysis which could incorporate computer skills. I should be able to demystify the type of tools that are apt for each and every research I would be involved in (Stynes, Murphy, McNamara, & O’Hara, n.d.). It will aid in making sense of the data collected, change the direction of the research depending on the cultural setting and guide the interventions that will impact the social need.
The most appropriate problem statement arising from this course would be the best method for data collection and analysis in a research(Palaganas, Sanchez, Molintas, & Caricativo, n.d.). I would use qualitative research anytime since being a proponent of social change as this course has impacted on me, I would like to gain insights into a societal need when impacting positive result on the need and also give me a perspicacious self-reflection about each and every step I take (Hughes, n.d.). The next steps for developing research topic for doctoral study include the following: developing the apt qualitative inquiry, deciphering how qualitative research will help generate results needed to transform people’s lives, craft appropriate research questions for it, and improve data collection techniques comprehension. It would include a review of management, recording, and analytics tools of the research and further, stimulate personal perspective on ethics and morals in research and practice (Hassanein, n.d.). My doctoral study has been influenced by this course since I want to undertake a research that leads to a positive human intervention program.