Marginalized Knowledge: An Agenda for Indigenous Knowledge Development and Integration with Other Forms of Knowledge

Method of study and research design

The social survey method followed in the current study, allowed for the construction and use of a pre-coded, closed-structured information schedule, designed to be compatible with information contained in the case files of diverted juvenile delinquents at NICRO, Durban. The information schedule that was used in conjunction with a coding sheet, allowed the convenient transfer of data to SPSS statistical analysis program. All youth courts in and around Durban have not diverted juveniles to NICRO. Pinetown’s youth court, for instance, did not refer a single case to NICRO in the six months prior to the commencement of the present inquiry. Secondly, available records from the personal files of diverted juveniles showed missing information. For instance, some case files did not reflect complete demographic information about the units under scrutiny. This missing information weakened any prospects of being capable to rely on ‘known sampling estimates’ and were, as a matter of comprehensiveness, recorded under ‘unknown’ categories. The researcher was however, convinced and satisfied that this kind of missing data did not seriously influence the final outcome of the study.

Given the shortcomings listed above, judgmental (purposive) sampling was chosen as the appropriate technique to collect the research data for statistical analyses. The mere fact that diverted juveniles could not be interviewed personally, made this sampling technique a suitable tool to use. Written documents or other types of records (e.g. case files of diverted juveniles) maintained by the police or other agencies (e.g. NICRO), provide excellent ‘criminal histories’ of juvenile delinquents. Such documents facilitate easy access to administrative particulars, demographic profile and offence particulars of diverted juvenile, although information contained in such case files are usually not disclosed to third parties because of ethical considerations, ‘…criminal justice researchers commonly obtain access’ (Maxfield & Babbie 1995:176). Prior written permission to access such case file information for the current study was obtained from NICRO, Durban prior to the start of the research. All 275 case files of juveniles diverted to NICRO by the Durban juvenile (youth) courts during December 2004 to July 2005, were perused and scrutinised for purposes of description of diverted juvenile and analysis. Frequency cross-tabulations were implemented to portray data in raw scores (N) and percentages (%).