This study has adopted a research strategy that values unpaid work via the input method which counts hours’ work in unpaid productive activities and assign a price to it using a comparative wage rate, by the single market replacement cost method values that the services could be purchase in line with the labour laws of Ghana. It further employs multiple units of analysis that are very common in social studies and economics. The units of analysis here are influencers of unpaid care and domestic work, their dynamics and complexities. The excepts of the video experiment discourse entails complex social phenomena that are best articulated by using multiple cases. The study adopted qualitative approach in data collection and analysis. The qualitative approach helps the researcher to employ strategies of inquiry such as surveys and collects data on prearranged instruments that yield statistical data (Creswell 2003).

The study will seek an in-depth understanding of the truth, though consciously bearing in mind that objective reality is never evident. Accordingly, multiple people in contrasting positions would be interviewed, and documentary evidence would be gathered with respect to the same aspect so as to gather an unbiased and factual picture of the truth of the influencers of unpaid care and domestic work and how to address it. Video interviews and observations collection and analysis of data would be performed in line with the recommendations. Ethical considerations would be made in data collection. Requests would be sent to respective respondents in advance, and their co-operation for the study would be sought diligently. Meetings would be held with prior appointments after assuring the respondents that all forms of data would be used purely for this research. Also, the faces of individuals and of organisations would be masked to maintain confidentiality.

The demographics encompass, male, female, age, religion, academic qualifications, tradition and culture, race, lifestyle, family structure and location.

Data Collection

Video recording was chosen for the reasons given by Otani et al., (2019), namely that “the use of digital recording devices usually gives detailed observations and precise outcomes. Jewitt, (2012) asserted that, video experiment research improves the credibility of the findings, allows other aspects to be studied through one medium than observations done by hand”. Capturing much of the data on video also allowed Thirthalli et al., (2020), refer to as “retrospective analyses”.

Categorization of the data could similarly be developed more fully after viewing the videos and adopting an ‘open-minded stance’, allowing the data itself to influence the design of ‘a category system derived from analyzing it rather than being imposed on it’ (Brown & Cox, 2009).

Using Video Cameras

Four cameras will be used to record interaction, one camera capturing the subjects faces and hands, the second camera capturing the corresponding views of the subject, the third camera capturing the faces and hands of an influencing party, the fourth camera capturing the corresponding views of the influencing party.     

A short-structured interview will be carried out with each respondent as they finish their session of the empty room which is explained in the heading below. This is partly to try to verify some of the observational data and partly to add in-depth by obtaining information which cannot be collected reliably through observation.