A qualitative approach comprising of two main research methods were chosen: (a) an ethnographic approach, mainly through participant-observation and (b) four in-depth formal interviews.
Due to the highly focused nature of the research topic and the time constraints within which the research must be done, it is difficult to adopt a purely ethnographic approach to answering the research aims. Furthermore, it is common for ethnographers to interview and qualitative interviewers to collect observational data about people and places. Hence, adopting such a research design which involves participant-observation and interactive interviewing can usefully be combined to provide further insights to understand discursive and social practices (Bryman, 2001).
3.2 Ethnography
Capable of being put to a variety of different uses, ethnographic research is an important and increasingly accepted tool as a research design for social scientists (Bryman, 2001). Ethnographic research is vital to understanding a certain cultural or social setting (Hobbs, 2011). The process involves the ethnographer to closely observe, record and engage in the daily life of the people in naturally-occurring settings (Hammersly and Atkinson, 1995).
The direct participation of the research, overtly or covertly, allows the ethnographer to capture social meanings and ordinary activities as data to reveal insights on issues that are important in the research (Brewer, 2000). A comprehensible and written account is the