Why Jamaicans Vote:

By: Herbert Gayle, PhD (London), MSc, BA (UWI)

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This study is a single snapshot of the 63 constituencies across Jamaica; and utilizes integrated methodologyas the main approach, with the assistance of qualitative and historical material. In simple terms, integrated methodology (started in the 1930s but developed and formalized in the 1990s) is the meticulous combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to fit specific philosophical objectives and research tasks. In other words, it is not simply about mixing methods, but using specific tools and dovetailing them in specific frames to meet the objective of a particular study. For this study a 4‐question standardized mini‐integrated instrument (lasting no more than 3 minutes) was constructed utilizing open‐ended questions, which allowed persons to freely express their views and positions.

Responses were analyzed using 3 categorical variables: gender, age, and SES. Socio‐economic status was determined by combining data on area of residence, parents and/or respondents’ occupation, and level of education. While there are clear distinctions between all SES groups, we conveniently combined middle and upper middle income groups (UM) and poor and near‐poor (PN). These combinations are well known to work in market and political research efforts. The former group range from merchants through upper middle class professions such as law and engineering to the upper bands of the nurture and security professions; the latter ranges from lower bands of the nurture and security professions through artisans to unskilled labour. Socio‐economic status was treated as an emergent variable. This means that the proportion in the sample of each constituency is likely to reflect the economic demographics of the constituency, given no quota was set – unlike age (18‐34 described as ‘Young’ and 35+ years described as ‘Mature’) and gender/sex(Male/Female)where there was an attempt to sample equal amounts.

View complete study here