International Journal of Qualitative Research

Traditional Initiation Rites: Constraints on Students' Educational Attainment in Coast Region Tanzania

Audrey Benson — 2025-03-30

Traditional initiation rites remain integral to cultural identity and coming-of-age practices in many African societies, significantly influencing educational outcomes. While existing literature predominantly emphasizes the negative impacts of these practices on education, limited research explores their comprehensive effects on female students' educational attainment, particularly in the coastal region of Tanzania. This study aimed to investigate how traditional initiation rites influence students' educational attainment in the Chalinze District, Coast Region, in the United Republic of Tanzania. Guided by Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory, the study employed a qualitative approach, collecting data through interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary reviews involving educational officers, teachers, parents, and students. The findings revealed a complex interplay between traditional practices and education, where initiation rites caused significant academic disruptions and behavioral transformations. Notably, key findings indicated that, in addition to post-initiation autonomy, ceremonial gift-giving practices and teachings from traditional instructors frequently resulted in educational challenges, including dropouts, early marriages, and teenage pregnancies. The study concludes that, while traditional rites hold cultural significance, their current implementation patterns considerably constrain educational attainment. This research contributes to understanding the cultural-educational nexus in Tanzania and recommends reforming initiation practices to align with educational goals, implementing cultural education programs, and establishing collaborative frameworks between traditional authorities and educational institutions to harmonize cultural practices with academic achievement.

Exploring Rural Social Entrepreneurship: Ukkrit Farm Hill’s Approach to Sustainable Community Development

Jirapong Ruanggoon — 2025-03-30

This research explores the role of rural social entrepreneurship in promoting sustainable community development, focusing on Ukkrit Farm Hill as a case study. The study highlights the unique challenges faced by rural enterprises, such as geographical isolation and limited resources, which necessitate distinct strategies for success. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research integrated in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis to gather rich, contextual data from various stakeholders, including the farm owner, community members, and tourists. The findings reveal that Ukkrit Farm Hill effectively combines agritourism, sustainable agriculture, and community engagement, fostering economic resilience and social cohesion. This integrated approach not only enhances income diversity but also strengthens community ties and ecological stewardship. The study concludes that rural social enterprises can create sustainable solutions by leveraging local resources and fostering community involvement, thereby bridging the gap in existing literature on rural entrepreneurship and contributing to the attainment of sustainable development goals.

If Not Now Then When? The Reality of Women's Representation in Politics and Administration in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

Md. Abu Sayem — 2025-03-30

The political landscape of Bangladesh presents a complex tapestry of progress and challenges regarding women's representation. This study aims to identify the status of women in the top political and administrative arena of Bangladesh and shed light on the factors that are responsible for such positions. The study employed an exploratory research design, utilizing a phenomenological research approach. The study followed the purposive sampling technique to collect 13 respondents, including members of parliament, cabinet members, local government representatives, and different political party members. The findings of the study depict that women's representation in the parliament and cabinet remains insignificant in making substantive decisions. Cultural and social structural barriers, muscle politics, and reluctance to adopt change by top political leadership are considered the main barriers in this regard. This research represents a distinctive addition to the interdisciplinary fields of gender studies and political science in Bangladesh, employing both primary and secondary data to arrive at a clear and definitive conclusion regarding the subject matter under investigation.

Workplace Bullying and Its Effects at A Higher Education Institution (HEI): Academics’ Perspectives

Lebo Sekgobela — 2025-03-30

This research explored workplace bullying (WB) among academic staff, recognizing its detrimental effects on mental health and job performance. The study aimed to understand the WB experienced by academic staff and its impact on their work effectiveness and to propose solutions. There is a significant gap in research regarding WB in academia, particularly affecting academic personnel. Using a qualitative exploratory design, the researchers accessed only six academic staff members conveniently, due to the sensitive nature of the study and conducted semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed manually through thematic analysis and inductive coding. Findings revealed that workplace bullying is prevalent among junior and new academic staff members due to power abuse, due to junior and new staff powerlessness, inability to command respect, and due to their general lack of community and collegiality. Consequently, the presence of WB negatively affects the victims mentally leading to deteriorated job performance. The study underscores workplace bullying as a critical issue, affecting both employee welfare and organizational effectiveness. The HEI should implement mental well-being strategies, such as peer support systems, mentoring, and workshops on bullying in the workplace. The HEI has first-hand information about WB, its consequences, and how to prevent and minimize the effects through the WB policy development.

Exploring Identity and Physical Activity in Substance Use Recovery: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Anthony Coetzer-Liversage — 2025-03-30

Substance use disorders (SUD) are a significant public health challenge in the United States, with high prevalence among young adults. Physical activity (PA) and identity construction have been found to support SUD recovery and promote a new, substance-free identity. However, more research is needed to understand the links between PA and identity construction. The purpose of this research was to understand the lived experience of how people recovering from a substance use disorder perceive their identity change throughout their self-discovery journey and the role of PA in this journey. Participants were recruited from a local PA group, four 60–90-minute interviews were conducted, and interpretive phenomenological analysis on verbatim transcribed audio files was performed. Three super-ordinate themes were found: 1) Core of Being, 2) Support Connection and Belonging, and 3) Suffering. Findings are consistent with and expand prior research, both within group PA settings and in participants’ journeys.

Language, Media, and Education: Unpacking Gender Bias and Empowerment in Moroccan Society

Rachid Bendraou — 2025-03-30

This study investigates the impact of language on the perpetuation of male dominance and gender norms in Moroccan society from the perspective of six Moroccan EFL teachers. Utilizing in-depth interviews, the research investigates how linguistic practices in both the public and private domain provide support for patriarchal norms, which in turn constructs ideas of gender roles amongst both educators and their students. The findings show how language, through proverbs and dialogue exchanges, draws on male domination and marginalizes women's views. Participants stressed that hierarchies of language at schools and media representations help maintain masculinity as the favored position in privileged spaces over that of women as the inferior ones. However, the study also finds emerging efforts by educators and activists pushing back against those norms through gender-sensitive curricula and inclusive communication strategies—these results illuminate language's role as a tool of oppression and as an instrument of defiance. By challenging the cultural and linguistic aspects that reinforce gender inequality, Moroccan education can play a notable role in promoting gender equality and giving a voice to marginalized groups.

Applying Circular Economy to Regenerative Tourism on Island: Insights from Con Dao, Vietnam

Tran Tuyen — 2025-03-30

The development of mass tourism in islands is encountering issues of resource depletion and overcapacity. Simultaneously, sustainable tourism models seek to mitigate adverse effects but do not entirely restore impacted destinations. Consequently, regenerative tourism grounded in a circular economy may serve as a viable solution to the challenges faced by islands. Con Dao, a small, ecological island in Vietnam facing significant environmental problems due to growing mass tourism, serves as a case study to explore the above integration. This paper aims to develop a regenerative tourism model based on the circular economy concept through field research and in-depth interviews with tourists, local officials, and tourism businesses. The results showed that the model is made up of three main domains: (1) a circular tourism value chain that makes the best use of resources and cuts down on waste; (2) circular and regenerative governance that encourages stakeholders to work together and makes sure that policies are aligned; and (3) regenerative tourism practices that encourage responsible behavior that is good for ecological recovery. This study also introduces specific techniques for each component to provide theoretical and practical contributions.