As teachers, researchers and gerontologists, we often discuss the “greying” of the human population and the increasing relevance of adult development and aging. From a lifespan developmental perspective (Baltes, 1987), we consider the roles of context and historical embeddedness to inherently shape developmental trajectories. For example, a limitless end of diverse demographic/social groups typically have a lifetime of experiences that guide their perceptions of aging, limits their opportunities and ultimately influences how they age. Most aging researchers agree that studies of minority groups are warranted, but a lack of inclusivity still exists in aging studies.
Researchers studying aging already experience difficulties finding older adults to participate in research. Adding extra inclusion criteria only complicates the search. Personally, I can testify to the strain and barriers in collecting a completely minority sample. As a graduate student, I have had the opportunity to learn about recruiting diverse samples both in my coursework and in the field by collecting participants for my master’s thesis. I learned that the guidelines for recruiting diverse samples of older adults focus on establishing a sense of trust in the following ways: include ambassadors of the target group at every level of the team, be culturally aware and educated (both interpersonally and with written materials), make it clear why the target population should participate, conduct post-study follow up to thank people and inform them of the results and allow for reciprocity (Mehrotra & Wagner, 2009).
In my master’s thesis, I examined romantic relationships in same-sex couples across the lifespan. When it was time for data collection, I tried to apply guidelines from my readings in class, like those above, to the field with the goal of collecting data from 200 sexual minority individuals. Both my advisor and I are sexual minority ambassadors, which aided in the development of my survey. We adapted our measures to be appropriate for our sample. For example, we replaced any wording that specified a particular orientation to be more inclusive for all sexual minorities. When it came to recruitment, I focused on online sources, using direct messaging. We marketed ourselves as “gay/lesbian” researchers and made the benefit of the study apparent. I also sent my project to every sexual minority organization I could possibly find. After months of slow recruitment, I reached out to all of the people in my life, regardless of orientation, and eventually got my desired sample. After I defended my thesis, I remained visible in our local sexual minority community by tabling events at gay pride celebrations throughout the summer. Doing this allows me to remain in contact with the community even when not “asking” for anything.
Although my project was relatively successful for a first attempt at an exclusively sexual minority sample, I will change several things next time. For example, I will add more individuals to serve as diverse ambassadors (e.g., an older adult ambassador), and I will attend events much sooner to garner excitement and put a face to the survey link. Finally, I see the following three issues as essential in any scholarship endeavor that focuses centrally or even tangentially on diversity issues:
- Be prepared to understand the diversity in the population of interest. Minority statuses do not exist in isolation and often are made of several intersecting identities. For example, given the makeup of my sample, I now prefer the term “sexual minority” to “LGBT” because 11 percentof my sample did not identify with the latter.
- Although you can educate yourself, this does not guarantee perfection. You have to acknowledge your own biases and be open to continuously learning how to increase inclusivity. Researchers should know how to recover from saying the wrong thing and offending someone. For example, I had questions that were geared towards being attracted to one sex but neglected questions about being attracted to more than one sex. I received feedback on this oversight that will strengthen my methodology in future studies.
- Lastly, do not make assumptions about groups of people, even when you are a member of that group. Never underestimate who can help you or who to target. Not only did I contact a lot of potential participants from connections within the community, but I also got a lot of people from outside the community. Ask everyone for help. You may be surprised where you will receive it.
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References
Baltes, P. B. (1987). Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: On the dynamics between growth and decline. Developmental Psychology, 23(5), 611-626. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.23.5.611
Mehrotra, C., & Wagner, L. S. (2009). Research methods. Aging and Diversity: An Active Learning Experience (2nd ed., pp. 33-65). New York, NY: Routledge.