If interested, please contact Dr Sirriyeh by email: a.sirriyeh@keele.ac.uk or phone: 0758 402 4964
Note, whilst interviews will generally be in the UK (Skype, phone or in person), if your partner lives in Chicago, Philadelphia or Sydney (Australia), then Dr Sirriyeh may be able to meet them in person as she is visiting those places over the next few months.
The study is about intimate partner relationships in which partners live in
different countries from one another. Relationships increasingly take place at
an international scale, due in part to factors such as migration, changes in
the global labour market and also development in communication and transport
technologies. Partners may be living in
this way by choice or because of circumstances that make living in the same
place difficult or impossible (such as immigration policy, work opportunities,
or family commitments), but this remains a very under-researched area. Keele University is keen find out more about why people enter into these relationships and how
these relationships are experienced. In
order to do so, their researchers will be interviewing people who live in the UK and are in an
intimate partner relationship with a partner who usually lives abroad so that they can find out more about their experiences.
More on the research from Drr Sirriyeh below, but we urge those who are willing to please contact Dr Sirriyeh, as such research can feed into future policy making.
Regards
Sonel
Q&A:
Aims of the
Research
This
is a study about intimate partner relationships in which partners usually live
in different countries from one another. In recent years relationships
increasingly take place at an international scale, due in part to factors such
as migration, changes in the global labour market and also development in
communication and transport technologies.
Intimate partners may be living in this way by choice or because of
circumstances that make living in the same place difficult or impossible (such
as immigration policy, work opportunities, or family commitments), but this
remains a very under-researched area. I would like to find out more about why
people enter into these relationships and how these relationships are
experienced.
Invitation
You are being invited to take part in the
research study Living Apart Together:
Transnational Relationships. This
project is being undertaken by Dr Ala
Sirriyeh (Lecturer in Sociology, School of Sociology & Criminology,
Keele University).
Before you decide whether or not you wish to
take part, it is important for you to understand why this research is being
done and what it will involve. Please take time to read this information
carefully and discuss it with friends and relatives if you wish. Ask us if
there is anything that is unclear or if you would like more information.
Why have I
been invited?
You
have been invited to take part in this research because you self-define as
being in an intimate partner relationship with a partner who usually lives in
another country.
Do I have to
take part?
You are free to decide whether you
wish to take part or not. If you do
decide to take part you will be asked to sign two sets of consent forms, one is
for you to keep and the other is for our records. You are free to withdraw from
this study at any time and without giving reasons.
What will
happen if I take part?
You
will be invited to take part in a qualitative interview which will be arranged
at a time that is convenient to you. The interview can be conducted online via
Skype or face to face in your home or in another agreed location (e.g. a
community centre, your workplace). You will be asked if the interview can be
digitally audio recorded. You can decline without giving a reason if you would
prefer not to be audio recorded.
What are the
benefits (if any) of taking part?
There
are no direct benefits for you in taking part in this research. However, the
findings of this research will be disseminated to relevant policy makers and
stakeholders in order to contribute to policy debates on migration and family.
What are the
risks (if any) of taking part?
The
discussion is focused on experiences of relationships, a sometimes personal and
sensitive topic. The interview method that is used is very open ended so you
will be able to steer the direction of their responses and you can choose not
to answer or comment on issues you do not want to talk about. You can also
pause or stop the interview at any point if you feel uncomfortable or
distressed.
How will
information about me be used?
Anonymised
information that you provide to me during the interview will be analysed
alongside data from other research participants in the study and will be used
to write a research report, academic journal articles, blog posts and media
outputs. Anonymised quotes from you may also be used, if you give permission
for me to do so.
Who will
have access to information about me?
Your
personal data will remain
confidential. The research data will be anonymised so that your identity
is not disclosed in the findings. You will be given or can choose a pseudonym.
Identifying features (e.g. your name, where you live) will be removed. It may
be, however, that someone who knows you well could detect your identity through
reading findings data about you.
I do, however, have to work within the confines of
current legislation over such matters as privacy and confidentiality, data
protection and human rights and so offers of confidentiality may sometimes be
overridden by law. For example, I will usually respect your privacy and will
not share information you give to me with a third party. However, in
circumstances whereby I am concerned over any actual or potential harm to
yourself or others I must pass this information to the relevant authorities.
Information
about you which has been recorded and obtained in this research project will be
safeguarded during and after the research project has been completed and will
be secured on a password protected file on a university computer in Ala
Sirriyeh’s office. Any paper copies will be secured within a filing cabinet.
The key for the cabinet and password for computers files will only be retained
by Ala and will not be shared with third parties. Data will be stored in line
with Keele University’s guidelines and will be retained by the principle
investigator, Ala Sirriyeh, for at least five years and will then be securely
destroyed when no longer required.
Who is funding
and organising the research?
There
is no external funding for this research.
What if
there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect
of this study, you may wish to speak to the researcher(s) who will do their
best to answer your questions. You
should contact Ala Sirriyeh at a.sirriyeh@keele.ac.uk. Alternatively, if you do not wish to contact
the researcher you may contact Professor Ronnie Lippens (Head of School of
Sociology and Criminology) at r.lippens@keele.ac.uk.
If you remain unhappy about the
research and/or wish to raise a complaint about any aspect of the way that you
have been approached or treated during the course of the study please write to
Nicola Leighton who is the University’s contact for complaints regarding
research at the following address:-
Nicola
Leighton
E-mail:
n.leighton@uso.keele.ac.uk
Tel:
01782 733306
i am interested, as someone that has had to take a 2nd job to meet the requirement, so now working 2 full time jobs back to back for over 9 months.
ReplyDelete55% of the UK is below the £18600 minimum requirement.
There is something called the North/South devide which is not taken into consideration by these rule makers. Basically my primary job that i have been in for 2 years earns £17670 gross per annum. If i did the same job for the same company in London i would be on more like £28000 - £30000 gross per annum.
This basically means that the working class in areas outside of london or areas of more unemployment are be prejudiced against.
Also with EU citizens allowed to come here with there non EU spouse with no financial requirement required, we are handed a double dose of prejudice!
EU citizens are allowed more spouse rights the UK Nationals, EU citizens are using EU law, even though UK nationals are part of the EU, we are bound by national law and everyone else is bound by EU law which is diabolical.
Either allow UK nationals the same rights in the UK as EU members ( which we are part of after all ) or Ammend the policy to eradicate the EU law that so many are taking advantage of, so that the working class UK nationals are not being discriminated against in their own country that they were born and bred in and have paid taxes to all their lives!
FYI i am English and am married to an American.
America not being part of the EU, BUT..... is an allied nation that has supported us in times of war, and whose first language is English!