Connecting Research Question to Methodology
Some women try to buy as many clothes as they can, some try to make their house as ‘full’ as possible while some invest in their looks or focus on their children’s performance and achievements (at school, in the workplace). All these efforts can be regarded (in the vast majority of cases) as women’s attempts to use some external things to fill in their internal emptiness. It is essential to understand what such women think about the reason for such behavior, the success of the tactics they use and particular voids they are trying to fill in. The research question can be formulated as follows: Why do some women try to use external things to fill in their internal voids?
The most suitable methodology for this study will be the phenomenological approach. Phenomenology focuses on lived experience of subjects (Moustakas, 1994). Exploring particular experiences of women can help identify the reasons behind their actions. It is crucial to examine females’ experiences and their perspectives on their actions, their lives, possible reasons for their actions. Creswell (2012) notes that the central aim of phenomenology is to “reduce individual experiences with a phenomenon to a description of the universal essence” (p. 76). In other words, the essence of the phenomenon is elicited on the basis of people’s perspectives and life experiences.
Clearly, the essence of using external things to fill in the internal emptiness can be unveiled through a thorough analysis of females’ accounts concerning their experiences. Importantly, this approach presupposes the use of interviews as the major data collection method. There can be a series of interviews with each participant. This tactic can ensure the collection of the necessary scope of data to be able to identify the nature of the phenomenon in question.
Problem Statement and Significance
Psychological issues cause a lot of distress, and people cannot live to their fullest. They focus on their issues, which may lead to problems in family and professional life as well as the development of severe psychological disorders. Internal emptiness is one of these psychological issues that may result in various negative consequences (Blasco-Fontecilla et al., 2013). Some women (after numerous attempts to handle their problem) may fail to fill in their internal voids and commit suicide. Notably, there are numerous studies on the correlation between the feeling of emptiness and suicidal attempts, but there is a lack of attention to strategies women use to overcome their psychological issue (Blasco-Fontecilla et al., 2013).
Some of the tactics used include the use of certain external things to fill in internal voids. Compulsive buying, investing in appearance, as well as focus on children’s or husband’s achievements, are employed by females. Nixon et al. (2012) state that gambling is one of the strategies utilized by females who want to fill in their internal emptiness. Clearly, all these are quite ineffective and sometimes (gambling and compulsive buying) destructive methods.
Therefore, it is essential to develop efficient strategies to help females address their internal voids. At that, to complete this complicated task, it is crucial to unveil the reasons for such behaviors and the way females see them. The participants of the study will contemplate on the matter and will identify exact ways they respond to this or that life event. They will be encouraged to think about the exact stimuli for undertaking particular steps to fill in their emptiness. The understanding of reasons for certain behaviors will enable practitioners to develop strategies that may appeal to women struggling with their internal voids.
References
Blasco-Fontecilla, H., De León-Martínez, V., Delgado-Gomez, D., Giner, L., Guillaume, S., & Courtet, P. (2013). Emptiness and suicidal behaviour: An exploratory review. Suicidology Online, 4(1), 21-32.
Creswell, J. (2012). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Nixon, G., Evans, K., Kalischuk, R. G., Solowoniuk, J., McCallum, K., & Hagen, B. (2012). Female gambling, trauma, and the not good enough self: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 10(3), 407-427.