That might be the case for consumer surveys but not research surveys - we have research questions, no assumptions. We are simply looking to collect data from farmers on what they do each day whilst working alone and driving heavy machinery. The question we are looking to investigate in terms of comparing responses is whether there are any differences in attitude across male and female farmers - there might be, there might not be, we wont know until we do the analysis. My point is simply that without sufficient numbers of female participants we couldn't do any kind of comparison at all. It might well be that there is no difference in the pattern of responses - and that will be just fine with us. The bigger picture for the study, and the main focus, is gathering information on factors related to situation awareness (what do you look out for, what distracts you, what do you worry about, what do you consider to be a hazard) - which we will report as provided to us. From a research and publication point of view I don't have any agenda in terms of results - I will just report what participants have told us, I think the data will be interesting no matter what.
Female farmers needed!
- Thread starter Drirwin
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That might be the case for consumer surveys but not research surveys - we have research questions, no assumptions. We are simply looking to collect data from farmers on what they do each day whilst working alone and driving heavy machinery. The question we are looking to investigate in terms of comparing responses is whether there are any differences in attitude across male and female farmers - there might be, there might not be, we wont know until we do the analysis. My point is simply that without sufficient numbers of female participants we couldn't do any kind of comparison at all. It might well be that there is no difference in the pattern of responses - and that will be just fine with us. The bigger picture for the study, and the main focus, is gathering information on factors related to situation awareness (what do you look out for, what distracts you, what do you worry about, what do you consider to be a hazard) - which we will report as provided to us. From a research and publication point of view I don't have any agenda in terms of results - I will just report what participants have told us, I think the data will be interesting no matter what.
I think perhaps your impression of the number of women farmers who drive heavy machinery is a bit skewed - almost every female farmer I have spoken to, particularly those who own and run their own farms and work alone a lot of the time, drive and operate heavy machinery. How would they be able to do their job otherwise? I disagree with your statement that the women must be atypical, however everyone is entitled to their own opinion so I wont attempt to change yours - there are a lot of very capable female farmers who drive heavy machinery who could do that far better than I
Apologies, but you are wrong, nobody just thought, hmmm, lets have a survey about whatever it is, somebody has some assumptions and wants to see if they are borne out by collecting data via a survey. But the survey is skewed by the bias built in to the assumptions and therefore questions. Survey data of this type is conditional not empiric and as such almost useless. Sir John Copperthawaite rang Hong Kong from the 1950's to the 1980's and would not allow any survey data to be collected by his administration as he contended that the data would be biased and used by differing groups to promote their ideas. Rather he chose to make one or two small adjustments and see the effects and then re-evaluate, the result, solid growth year on year, housing shortages dealt with, education superb etc etc. I have experience of working alongside a devolved administration quango, they loved surveys, data and got high on gobbledygook. They openly admitted, if we do no harm the funding will keep coming, and that was what was recommended to me along with 'spend the budget', it was shocking, truly shocking. Scientific data is brilliant, but this is not scientific data you will be collecting it will be subjective. Oh, and by the way my OH is more the farmer than me and she would definitely not bother. I'm sorry and I have no wish to appear harsh but please give me something more concrete.
Send us a photo - both rear and front views- and we'll let you know.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I do not receive funding for conducting this research - I am paid by the University to teach and conduct research but its not specific to topic, not do I have any limitations on what I examine or publish. As such research surveys of this type can be exploratory - so we have research questions but not assumptions (or hypotheses). So for example - research question = 'what do farmers state they need to be aware of when working alone', no expectations, no assumptions, just a wish to collect data to find out more about what happens. Again research, funded by grant bodies or a University, are carefully conducted to avoid bias as much as possible, and there are no expectations in terms of data - you can hypothesise, but that doesn't mean your data will support that hypothesis, and if it doesn't you report the actual result - anything else would be data hacking. You are right that I am collecting subjective self-report data, but that type of data has its place, particularly when you want to find out more about a particular area before proceeding to further study. In essence this type of research is all about finding out more about human behaviour from the perspective of the participant - there are limitations to that as you point out (data is subjective, only opinion of participants etc) but the alternative would be some kind of lab based study which has issues of its own (limited ecological validity, observer effect etc.). Research is always a balance between what you would like to do and what you can actually do. Because I want to find out what farmers think, this method is suitable. As the research progresses I am likely to use multiple methods, including some experimental work.
If you would like to find out more about the pro's and con's of qualitative research you can look here (its a bit restrictive but this was one of only a few options that everyone can access for free): https://www.simplypsychology.org/qualitative-quantitative.html
As always this research is entirely voluntary so if you don't wish to take part, that is entirely your choice, I don't see any need to have an argument about it
could we see pics of your ploughing and welding pleaseWell I’m a female farmer , although I prefer the term Land Manager.
In the summer I drive a JD 8530 , or 7530 , I do most of the ploughing and this year 96% of the powerharrow, and can weld better than anyone else on the farm
I also do all the worrying, the VAT, the finance , the tea, the dinners, the chivvying along of the grumpy blokes and the cash flows.
I reckon I’m not unique
What indeed is normal.
I can only judge by what i see around me. In none of the households on neighbouring farms are the girls/ladies doing much (or any) tractor work, or operating other dangerous plant and machinery regularly...repeat, none, and I'm thinking of everyone working outwards over several miles.
Most can perfectly well, but don't.
Immediately around me -IE those with whom i'm working-, few have equal spatial awareness to their male counterparts (a polite way of saying they're more prone to dinging stuff).
My own lovely wife wants little to do with things with infernal combustion engines.
She can, I should say, reverse a 4x4 and trailer as well as almost anyone, and can mow/turn/bale when things are hectic.
(in fact, she baled all the small bales this summer, allowing me to pick em up!)
I know a few very good female machinery operators- I can think of a lady crane lorry driver who i used to work with who was very capable....but again, she was one out of, maybe 20 I've worked closely with over the years
I don't know how it is elsewhere, and I certainly mean no offence, but I think 'atypical' is the correct word.
got to the end of that one before I found the comments box......See lynx survey
Taught my eldest girl to stick weld when she was still in primary skool.could we see pics of your ploughing and welding please
she entered the class at the local fair titled 'robot made from rubbish'
It had bits of haybob tine, mower blades, an old gas bottle, and such material, glued on by herself.
Came second to a cornflake box covered in tin foil, as- we suspect- judges didn't believe she could've done it.
I think perhaps your impression of the number of women farmers who drive heavy machinery is a bit skewed - almost every female farmer I have spoken to, particularly those who own and run their own farms and work alone a lot of the time, drive and operate heavy machinery. How would they be able to do their job otherwise? I disagree with your statement that the women must be atypical, however everyone is entitled to their own opinion so I wont attempt to change yours - there are a lot of very capable female farmers who drive heavy machinery who could do that far better than I
I never said they couldn't, but the evident truth is that few do...very few.
If you're needing to run parallel studies on genders, and finding use in seeing differing results, fair go to you.
Whether the individuals are 'different' to the majority....I wouldn't know, but it would be interesting (a lot of it would probably be specific/family circumstance)
If you're determined to try and make square pegs go in round holes though....well...best of British with that.
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It doesn't matter how many or how few women drive ruddy tractors, from what I can see the questionnaire isn't about that. It's about perceived differences between the sexes, as one part of a primary investigation in to health and safety whilst using farm equipment.
something to grab on to then
I didn't suss that initially, but it would appear to be at least part of it.
I tried fleeing to a thread on hill sheep selection, which immediately fell into a row about genders too.
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Yes, it's certainly the "me too" thing of the moment and some of the programs and comments I currently listen to would be taken off air, if they were done for from a male rather then a female prospective. But when you have the president of the most powerful country in the world not only condoning but bragging about his treatment of woman along with other powerful men with similar attitudes, we bring on ourselves.
Well, i did put
...and not - 'pics or it never happened ' ....I told my daughter that girls don't do maths or play football, ...
.....She is now a football playing mathematician
Not sure I would want the discussion to spill over into 'me too' ground.Yes, it's certainly the "me too" thing of the moment and some of the programs and comments I currently listen to would be taken off air, if they were done for from a male rather then a female prospective. But when you have the president of the most powerful country in the world not only condoning but bragging about his treatment of woman along with other powerful men with similar attitudes, we bring on ourselves.
my maid isn't a welder now she's 1.8m tall, but I hope the kick start i gave her is standing her in good steadWell, i did put
I told my daughter that girls don't do maths or play football, ...
.....She is now a football playing mathematician