Using literary ethnography as a form of qualitative document synthesis to explore the maltreatment of vulnerable populations: An examination of verbal neglect and abuse in nursing homes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2009

Abstract

Studying vulnerable populations can be highly problematic. This is especially true when they are located in institutional settings. When gatekeepers block access and a researcher wants to examine a delicate topic, one ethical, feasible way to paint an interpretive picture of everyday life involves the use of a literary ethnography. With data on the verbal neglect and abuse of elders in United States nursing homes, this paper details the six-stages of a literary ethnography. It includes a discussion of identifying sources, reading and interpreting the documents, identifying textual themes, classifying themes, developing a set of analytic constructs, and re-reading documents for contextual confirmation. It concludes with a discussion of literary ethnography weaknesses and directions for future applications.

First Page

807

Last Page

824

Volume

14

Issue

4

Publication Title

Qualitative Report

ISSN

10520147

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