Chapter 3 Topic 5 Interviews

Question 1

Interviews are an ulternative to what?

Answer 1

questionnaires

Question 2

Which two ways are interviews carried out?

Answer 2

face to face
telephone

Question 3

What four types of interviews are there?

Answer 3

structures or formal interviews
unstructured or informal interviews
semi-structured interviews
group interviews

Question 4

How is the difference between the different types of interviews?

Answer 4

how free the interviewer is to vary the questions and the way they are asked

Question 5

What is a structured or formal interview?

Answer 5

they are very similar to a questionnaire
interviewer is given strict instructions on how to ask the questions
interview is conducted in the same standardised way each time asking each interviwee precisely the same questions word for work, in the same order, tone of voice and so on

Question 6

What is an unstructured or informal interview?

Answer 6

also called discovery interviews
they are like guided conversation
interviewer has complete freedom to vary questions, their wording, order and so on dfrom one interview to the next
pursuing whatever line of questioning seems appropriate at the time
asking follow up questions or probing more deeply

Question 7

What is a semi-structured interview?

Answer 7

lies between the other two extreems
each interview has the same set of questions in common b ut the interviewer can also probe for more information
eg Aaron Cicourel and John Kitsused 1963 allways followed up their questions with ‘how do you mean?’ as a way of gaining more information
additional questions can be asked where the interviewer thinks is relevant

Question 8

What is a group interview?

Answer 8

Most interviews are one-to-one but some are group interviews, with up to a dozen or so people being interviews together
Paul Willis 1977 used group interviews as a part of his research into the ‘lads’ and schooling

Question 9

What are focus groups a form of?

Answer 9

group interviewin which the researcher asks the group to discuss certain topics and records their views

Question 10

What are four strengths of group interviews?

Answer 10

Participants may feel more comfortable being with others and thus more likely to open up.
In a discussion, participants often throw ideas around the group, stimulating each others thinking which produces richer and more reflective data.
They can be a useful way of generating initial ideas that can be followed up in later research.
The researcher can combine questioning with the opportunity to observe group dynamics and norms.

Question 11

What are four limitations to group interviews?

Answer 11

One or two individuals may dominate the discussions, limiting others from contributing.
Much depends on the researchers ability to keep the group focused on the discussion topic.
Peer group pressure to conform to group norms may lead to participants not syaing what they really think.
Data generated from group interaction is more complex and difficult to analyse.

Question 12

What are the four practical issues with structured interviews?

Answer 12

Training interviewers is relatively straightfoward and inexpensive, since all thry are really requires to do is follow a set of instructions, however, this is more costly than simply posting or emailing questionnaires to people.
Surveys that use structured interviews can cover quite large numbers of people with relitevly limited recources because they are quick and fairly cheep to administer, however, they still cannot match the potentially huge numbers reached by postal questionnaires.
Structured interviews are suitable for gathering straightforward factural information such as a persons age or job.
The results are easily quantified because they use closed-ended quesions with coded answers, this makes them suitable for hypothesis testing.

Question 13

What is the responce rate with structured interviews?

Answer 13

The large numbers who can be surveyed using structured interviews increase the chances of obtaining a representative sample of the population.
Although the numbers that can be studied are lower than for questionnaires, structured interviews generally have a higher responce rate.
Eg of the 987 people Young and Willmott approached for their main smaple only 54 refused to be interviewed, this may be because people find it harder to turn down a face-to-face request, and some may welcome the oppertunity to talk.
Responce rates can be increased if the interviewer can make several call backs to pursue those who fail to respond initially, however, this increases the cost of the survey.
High responce rates help to produce a more representative result and therefore a better basis for making generalisations.

Question 14

What does it mean if something in sociology is reliable?

Answer 14

If a method is reliable, another sociologist could repeat the research and get the same results

Question 15

What is reliability with structured interviews?

Answer 15

structured interviews are seen as reliable because it is easy for the researcher to standardise and control them.
They Can ensure that each interview is conducted in precisely the same way, with the same questions, in the same order, with the same wording and tone of voice.
If each interviewer conducts every intedrview in exactly the same way, then any other researcher following the same interview procedures should get the similar results.

Question 16

What is a valid method?

Answer 16

A valid method is one that provides a true, authentic picture of the topic beign researched

Question 17

What do critics say about structured interviews? (validity in structured interviews)

Answer 17

Critics of tructured interviews argue that, like questionnaires, they often produce a false picture of the subjects they are trying to study

Question 18

What type of questions are used in structured interviews and what is the problem with them? (validity in structured interviews)

Answer 18

Structured interviews usually use close ended questions that restrict interviewees to choosing from a limited number of pre-set answers.
If non of these answers fits what the interviewee really wishes to say the data obtained will be invalid.

Question 19

Structured interviews give interviewsers little what? and what problem does this cause? (validity in structured interviews)

Answer 19

Structured intervews give interviewers very little freedom to explain questions or clarify misunderstandings.
Eg they may be given one alternative form of words to use if the interviewee doesnt understand the question, but if this fails to do the trick the interviewer usually has to move on to the next question.

Question 20

People may do what which causes false data? (validity in structured interviews)

Answer 20

People may lie or exagerate.
These responses produce false data.

Question 21

The interview is a what kind of reaction? and this causes what problem? (validity in structured interviews)

Answer 21

The interview is a social interaction and so there is always a risk that the interaction between interviewer and interviewee will influence the asnwers given.
Eg gender and ethnic differences can affect the answers as can the interviewees desire to be seen in a favourable light.

Question 22

Like questionnaires interviews suffer from what which causes the problem about What the interviewer and interviewee thinks is important? (inflexability in structured interviews)

Answer 22

Like self-completed questionnaires, structures interviews suffer from the inflexability that comes from having to draw up the questions in advance.
In doing so, the researcher has already decided what is important- yet this may not coincide with that the interviewee thinks is important.

Question 23

The findings lack what because of what thereby loosing valuable insights? (inflexability in structured interviews)

Answer 23

The findings may lack validity because they do not reflect the interviewees concerns and priorities.
In particular, establishing the questions beforehand and then sticking to them regidly will make it impossible to pursue any interesting leads that emerge in the course of the interviews thereby losing valuable insights.

Question 24

Also like questionnairs structures interviews are merly what so they fail to capture what unlike participant observation? (inflexability in structured interviews)

Answer 24

Also like questionnaires, structured interviews are merly snapshots taken at one moment in time, so they fail to capture the following dynamic nature of social life - unlike participant observation, for example.

Question 25

What does Hilary Graham 1983 argue about structured interviews? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 25

Hilary Graham (1983) argues that servey methods such as questionnaires and structures interviews are patriarchal and give a distorted, invalid picture of womens experience.

Question 26

What does Hisary Graham 1983 critisise about the researcher and the interviewee in structured interviews? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 26

Hilary Graham argues that: The researcher, not the female interviewee, is in control of the interview and decides the line of questioning to be followed, this mirrors womens subordination in wider society.

Question 27

Hillary Graham 1983 argues what about survey methods and women? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 27

Hillary Graham 1983 argues that: Survey methods treat women as isolated individuals rather than seeing them in the context of the power relationships that oppress them.

Question 28

Hilary Graham 1983 argues surveys impose what on women making it difficult for what? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 28

Surveys impose the researchers categories on women, making it difficult for them to express their experiences of oppression, thus concealing the unequal power reslationships between the sexes.

Question 29

Structured interviews fail to reveal what then Graham argues that sociologists need to use methods that allow what? What does Graham advocate the use of instead of? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 29

These feminist criticisms are similar to those put forward by interpretivist sociologists, who argue that structured interviews fail to reveal how the interviewee sees their situation. Graham argues that sociologists need to use methods that allow the researcher to understand womens behaviour, attitudes and meanings. She therefore advocates the use of direct observation instead of structures interviews.

Question 30

Feminists as well as Graham favour what kind of interviews which enable what? (feminist criticisms in structured interviews)

Answer 30

Other feminists favour unstructured interviews, which enable the researcher to build a more equal and collaborative relationships based on trust, empathy and support.

Question 31

What is the difference between a structured interview and unstructured interview?

Answer 31

Whereas a structured interview follows a standard format, in an unstructured interview the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the interview. Supporters argue that this brings a number of important advantages.

Question 32

What is an advantage of unstructured interviews?

Answer 32

Unstructured interviews are widely seen as a way of gathering data enabling researchers to get a deeper understanding of the interviewees world, There are several reasons for this.

Question 33

The informality of unstructures interviews allows the researcher to develop what which is more likely to put the interviewee at what? (rapport and sensitivity in unstructured interviews)

Answer 33

The informality of unstructured interviews allows the interviewer to develop a rapport (relationship of trust and undertsanding) with the interviewee. This is more likely to put the interviewee at their ease and encourage them to open up than a formal structured interview?

Question 34

What is a good example of an unstructured interview that went better than a structured interview? (rapport and sensitivity in unstructured interviews)

Answer 34

A good example is the work of William Labov 1973 when using a formal interview technique to study the language of black American children, Labov found that they they appeared to be tongue-tied and 'linguistically deprived'. However adopting a more relaxed informal style - the child allowed to have a freind present - brought a completely different response. The children opened up and spoke freely, showing that they were competent speakers.

Question 35

Unstructured interviews are useful when researhcing what topics? (rapport and sensitivity in unstructured interviews)

Answer 35

Unstructured interviews are particularly useful when researching sensitive topics.

Question 36

Who used unstructured interviews to study domestic violence? (rapport and sensitivity in unstructured interviews)

Answer 36

Dobash and Dobash used them to study domestic violence.

Question 37

What were the benefits of Dobash and Dobash using unstructured interviews to conduct an interview about domestic violence? (rapport and sensitivity in unstructured interviews)

Answer 37

The empathy and encouragement of the interviewer will help the interviewee to feel comfortable sidcussing difficult or personal subjects such as abuse.

Question 38

Because there are no what unstructured interviews allow the interviewee do to what? This contrasts what which limits the interviwee to what? (The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 38

Because there are no set questions, unstructured interviews allow the interviewee more opportunity to speak about those things they think are important. This contrasts with the structured interview, where the researcher decides in advance what questions are worth asking and limits interviewees to a fixed range of possible answers.

Question 39

Unstructured interviews allow what which helps to produce what data? Like this the interviewers probing can help what? (The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 39

By allowing them greater freedom to express their views, an unstructured interview is more likely to produce fresh insights and valid data. Similarly, the interviewer's probing can help formulate and develop interviewees' thoughts more clearly.

Question 40

who did a study of claimants' experiences of unemployment in 1992? How long did it last and how many claimants were there? (The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 40

In their study of claimants' experiences of unemployment Heartly Dean and Peter Taylor-Grooby 1992 used unstructured tape recoreded interviews, lasting up to 90 minutes with 85 claimants.

Question 41

What did the claimants say about the interview conducted by Hartley Dean and Peter-Gooby in 1992? (The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 41

In their words: 'questions were not put in any set order; the wording of questions was adapted to fit the circumstances of the respondent and/or the interview situation; questions which were evidently inappropriate were omitted altogether; additional questions or prompts were used at the interviewers discretion to clarify or develop themes as they emerged.

Question 42

Unstructured interview might just be more useful because they use what kind of questions?(The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 42

Where the subject is one that we dont yet know much about, unstructured interviews may be more useful, precisely because they are open-ended and exploratory.

Question 43

As with ordinariy conversation we start out knowing what and learn when? Some sociologists use unstructured interviews as what before going on to use more what kind of methods such as? (The interviewee's view in unstructured interviews)

Answer 43

As with ordinary conversation, we can start out knowing nothing and by asking questions, learn as we go along. Some sociologists use unstructured interviews as a starting point to develop their initial idea about a topic before going on to use more structured methods of investigation such as questionnaires.

Question 44

What is one disadvantage of of unstructured interviews which results in the amount of studies carrioud out being limited? (practical problems in unstructured interviews)

Answer 44

Time and sample size: being in-depth explorations, unstructured interviews take a long time to conduct often several hours each. This limits the number that can be carried out and means that the researcher will have a relatively small smaple compared with the larger numbers who can be studied using structured interviews or questionnaires.

Answer 45

Training needs to be more throough than for someone conducting structured interviews. The interviewer needs to have a background in sociology so they can recognise when the interviewee has made a sociologically important point and so they can probe further with an appropriate line of questioning. All this adds to the cost of conducting unstructured interviews.