Using theories from group psychotherapy to understand group process in multicultural focus groups: A pilot study

Abstract

This study explores the applicability of the American Group Psychotherapy Association’s (AGPA) Practice Guidelines for Group Psychotherapy to analyse the construction of group processes in three focus groups with patients, clinicians, and administrators on cultural competence. Each focus group was recorded, transcribed, and analysed through codes developed from the AGPA’s Guidelines. Findings were compared and contrasted to discover thematic convergences and divergences. Our results show that certain processes such as catharsis, imparting information, and universality emerged commonly across all three focus groups, but with different frequencies. Group processes influenced how participants interacted and influenced each other in their responses, suggesting the value of analysing group processes in multicultural focus groups.

Conducting Focus Groups in Multicultural Educational Contexts: Lessons Learned and Methodological Insights

“…Considerations including recognizing the cultural norms of participants and research contexts are particularly relevant, including addressing the language and culture of multicultural researchers as facilitators in focus groups (see Cedeño et al, 2020;Karwalajtys et al, 2010) In contexts where researchers from the Global North are conducting focus groups in cultural competence is foundational, particularly relevant to social science research (Hennink, 2007). Hennink's (2007) book on focus groups relating to the Global South provides illustrative cases of conducting "international focus groups."…”

“…There is also attention to culturally competent care of researchers during focus groups, such as focusing on the importance of conducting culturally tailored focus groups. Considerations including recognizing the cultural norms of participants and research contexts are particularly relevant, including addressing the language and culture of multicultural researchers as facilitators in focus groups (see Cedeño et al, 2020; Karwalajtys et al, 2010)…”