Torres (2009) in his study ‘Latino definitions of success: A cultural model of intercultural competence’ used the method that Hanson et al (2005) called a sequential exploratory method (Hanson et al, 2005, p. 231). Namely, the study implemented data collection sequentially and prioritized the quantitative data. In the study the qualitative data in the form of qualitative semi-structured interviews was collected and analyzed. Then followed the collection of quantitative data in the form of quantitative technique called cultural consensus analysis – it measures whether or not an individual agrees on the definition of some cultural norms or values (Torres, 2009). The qualitative data was included in order to augment the findings derived from semi-structured interviews and develop a cultural model of Latino intercultural competence (Torres, 2009), which would be difficult to do only based on the findings of qualitative research.
As to the theoretical lens that underlies the study, it is important to mention that cultural consensus analysis stresses a focus on the fact that every cultural group has some shared knowledge that is distributed across social divisions. This method thus assumes that it is possible to collect information from the relatively small group of key informants that are to be thoroughly examined. Apart from this, the study incorporates the theory that it is more important to understand the characteristics of cultural competence the way Latino community defines it rather than defining the adaptation strategies that might be effective for Latino population (Torres, 2009), as it used to be done in previous studied on similar topics. Also, the semi-structured interviews in the study were analyzed on the basis of the grounded theory (the process of open coding was incorporated).
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As a part of the study, the semi-structured interviews were translated in English (which, to some extent, might have affected the validity of the final results), and then examined through the process of open coding. In order to be reassured that effects of the research team on the procedure of data analysis is minimal, the members of the team previously discussed their values, attitudes and bias, and a Latino man throughout the process of analysis was checking whether or not the categories identified by the members of the research team adequately represent the information collected from interviews. The information derived from the cultural consensus analysis was examined through the software program called ANTHROPAC. The level of agreement on the importance of ratings has also been calculated in order to determine whether or not a single factor exists (Torres, 2009). Then the level of expertise for each of the participants was calculated. Finally, the third phase of the cultural consensus analysis included the calculation of a weighted mean of each item’s importance rating (Torres, 2009). The author argues that ‘averaged across the sample, these calculations give higher weight to participants who have higher cultural expertise’ (Torres, 2009).
According to the author, it was crucial to use the mixed method rationale in this study. Namely, qualitative methods were mostly used in order to measure different cultural characteristics. As a result, several limitations have emerged as a result of overusing nonsystematic and nonstatistical methods (Torres, 2009). Therefore, there was a need to enrich the qualitative findings with quantitative information in order to guarantee the highest validity of the information obtained. However, there are also some limitations of the studies that use mixed methods rationale, such as the extent to which each aspect of the qualitative side and quantitative side is explained (Laureate Education).
- Hanson, W. E., Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Petska, K. S., & Creswell, D. J. (2005). Mixed methods research design in counseling psychology. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 224–235.
- Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Research and program evaluation: Mixed methods research [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
- Torres, L. (2009). Latino definitions of success: A cultural model of intercultural competence. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 31, 576–593.
