Assignment: Using Interview in research

Assignment: Using Interview in research

Assignment: Using Interview in research

Interview two different individuals regarding their positions in society.  Analyze their responses regarding:

1. Identify each person’s class, race, and gender.
2. What role has class, race, and gender played in their lives?  How do you see these stratifiers as playing a role, even if the interviewee is unaware of it?
3. Apply one of the sociological perspectives (structural-functional, social-conflict, or symbolic-interaction) to the individuals’ lives.  Why did you choose this particular perspective?  How does it explain each person’s life and life choices?
4. What are some the benefits and limitations to using interview as a research methodology?
5. Analyze each person’s components of culture (language, symbols, material objects, and behaviors) and relate them to his/her stratified position in society.

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Question 1

Suppose you are faced with a terminally ill client who is in a great deal of pain. The client indicates to you in a calm, reasonable way that she is going to drive out to an isolated spot in a state park, go sit under her favorite tree, and after making a farewell message to her family, will kill herself. Discuss the ethical, legal, and moral dilemmas you would be faced with in this situation.

Question 2

Take a position, for or against. Is it better/more important to have online crisis intervention, or face-to-face crisis intervention, and why? Think of yourself                    in a crisis location where both are available.

1. What are the concrete specific advantages of one over the other for you?

What are the important steps involved in interviews?

1. Design interview questions
   • Think about who you will interview
   • Think about what kind of information you want to obtain from interviews
   • Think about why you want to pursue in-depth information around your research topic
2. Develop an interview guide
   • Introduce yourself and explain the aim of the interview
   • Devise your questions so interviewees can help answer your research question
   • Have a sequence to your questions / topics by grouping them in themes
   • Make sure you can easily move back and forth between questions / topics
   • Make sure your questions are clear and easy to understand
   • Do not ask leading questions
3. Plan and manage logistics
   • Do you want to bring a second interviewer with you?
   • Do you want to bring a notetaker?
   • Do you want to record interviews? If so, do you have time to transcribe interview recordings?
   • Where will you interview people? Where is the setting with the least distraction?
   • How long will each interview take?
   • Do you need to address terms of confidentiality?