Abstract:
In this article, the researcher considers
ways in which qualitative methods could be used
when engaging in research on reproductive and
sexual practices. The primary method in South
African demographic research is the sample survey,
which has entrenched its status as a source
of "reliable" and "scientific" data. The drive, in the
post-apartheid context, for increasing quantities of
credible data for policy and planning purposes has
not created considerable space for discussion on
the role of "softer" or qualitative approaches. Whilst
qualitative studies do hold importance as ad hoc
contributions, they are rarely considered by demographers
studying women's fertility to be viable
alternatives to large-scale survey research. As
South Africa braces itself for higher levels of mortality
due to AIDS-related deaths, qualitative methods
are being utilised to build subjective understandings
of the AIDS-fertility relationship but rarely
in terms of exclusively qualitative research designs.
The article reflects on longitudinal fieldwork
and focuses on alternative and "mixed" approaches
in which qualitative methods could be drawn
upon to illuminate the various facets of women's
personal, social and cultural existences.
