[Last modified: November, 4 2024 02:57 AM]
As my pilot research project, I planned to interview people who receive financial support from the government due to difficulty in working. Through my career as a medical doctor and an adviser for health policymakers, I wanted to know how the UK manages these people’s well-being. If I found good example policies, I would make better advice. I want to research people who need public support because when I worked as a GP in a slam in Japan, I thought people financially supported by governments found it difficult to change their situations. In other words, my project includes a strong political position. So, I must carefully mind my biases.
To adapt my methods to account for political elements, I always need to consider if I’m neutral and ethical. I understand that a one-year master’s course may not be sufficient to fully understand these so-called vulnerable people. I am continuously striving to become more aware of my limitations and understand them. I, a medical doctor from a developed country and an assistant professor of public health at a medical university in Japan, might need help to be trusted by them. Therefore, I am prepared to invest significant time in collecting their ‘true’ opinions.
To be politically neutral, I have to consider whether I’m collecting both positive and negative opinions. Because of my background as a medical doctor and a policy adviser, I may have biases that accept current policies, and the residents who receive public service consider me like that. If I interview someone now, the best interviewees may be people who have similar backgrounds, such as doctors and civil servants. It could escalate biases as health service providers, but it may be better than to conclude something with incorrect interviews with residents. I am aware of these potential biases and am committed to mitigating them through careful selection of interviewees and open-minded data analysis.
As the one-year master’s course seems too short to understand vulnerable people, what I can do now is try to communicate with people rather than conclude easily. I need to know people more. So I will search for volunteers at the food bank for them. Interviewing the people who work at such NGOs could be helpful. In addition, now I live in a council flat and buy the “cheapest” food with proper nutrition. I hope it helps me to understand people who have difficulties.