Interviews

Question 1

What are interviews

Answer 1

Social survey-gather data by asking people questions
types of interviews:
* Structured interviews-Interview is conducted in standardisted way
asking each interviewerr same questions in same order
* Unstructured interview- complete freedom to vary questions
* Semi-structured interviews
* Group interviews

Question 2

Advantages of structured Interviews

Answer 2

• Practical issues
• Reliability

Question 3

Explain the practical advantages of structured interviews

Answer 3

• Training interviewers straightforward & inexpensive
• Surveys using structured interviews -can cover large number of people & cheap to adminste
• results are easily quantifiable because use close ended Q with coded answers

Question 4

Explain how Reliability is an advantage of structured interviews

Answer 4

structured interviews are seen as reliable because it is easy to standardise & control them. They can ensure that each interview is is constructed in same way ,same questions
interviewees are all asked same q-can identify similarities & differences between answers

Question 5

Structured interviews are not valid

Disadvantge of structured interviews

Answer 5

Structured interviews use close ended Q & restrict interviewee to choosing from limited number of pre-set answers -if answers dont fit what interviewee wants to stay data obtained -invalid
structured interviews-give interviewees little freedom to explain Q

Question 6

Structured interviews-Inflexible

Disadvantage

Answer 6

Structured interviews suffer from inflexibility
what researcher has decided as important -different from interviewees perpsective
findings lack validity as do not reflect the interviewees concerns & priorities

Question 7

Advantages of unstructured interviews

Answer 7

• Establish rapport & sensitivity
• The interviewees view
• flexibility
• Valdiity

Question 8

Explain how establishing a rapport is an advantage of unstructured interviews

Answer 8

The informality of unstructured interviews allow interviewer to develop a rapport (relationship of trust) with interviewee
encourages them to open up

Question 9

Explain how considering The interviewee’s view is advantage if unstructured interviews

Advantage

Answer 9

Because there are no set questions, unstructured interviews allow intervieww more opportunity to speak about things they find important
allowing them greater freedom to express views-obtain valid data

Question 10

Explain how unstructured interviews are Flexible

Advantage

Answer 10

Unstructured interviews are highly flexible.Interviewer is not restricted to fixed set of questions-can explore whatever
researcher can formulate new ideas & Hypothesis

Question 11

Disadvantages of unstructured interviews

Answer 11

1. Practical problems
2. Representativeness
3. Reliability

Question 12

Explain how practical problems of unstructured interviews

Answer 12

• Time & sample size-unstructured interviews take a long time to conduct-in depth explorations limits numbers that can be carried out -therefore having small sample szie compared to structured interviews & questionnaires with larger sample size
• Training-interviewer need straining ,background in sociology-all adds to cost of conducting unstructured interviews
• Interpersonal skills-interviewes need good interpersonal skills so can establish rapport

Question 13

Explain how unstructured interviews are not representative

Answer 13

smaller numbersw involved -sample is not representative -harder to make valid generalisations based on findings of interview

Question 14

Explain how unstructured interviews are unreliable

Answer 14

unreliable-not standardised
each interview is unique-cannot replicate findings of interviews & compare them

Question 15

Positvists view on structured interviews

Interpretivists reject structured interviews -imposes researchers framework of ideas on interviewees

Answer 15

• Favour structured interview-achieves main goal of reliability,generalisability & representativeness
• Standardised questions & answers produce reliable data -other researchers can replicate
• pre-coded responses allow us to produce qunaititative dara, identify & measure behaviour patterns & establish cause & effect relationships
• structured interviews-large scale so more represntative

Question 16

Interpretivists view on unstructured interviews

Positivists reject unstructured interviews -each one is unique & cannot be replicated

Answer 16

• Favour unstructured interviews-achieves main goal of validity
• No set structure means interviewees can discuss what is important to them
• Open-ended questions allow interviewees to express themselves in own words -producing qualitative data -gives insight on meanings

Question 17

The interview as a social interaction

Answer 17

All interviews involve social interaction
ways this can gthreaten validity of interviews:
* Interviewer bias-interviewer may ask leading Q
* Artificiality-may be untruthfull
* Status & power inequalities-inequalties between interviewer & interviewee affect interviewersw honesty to answer Q-less valid data
Social desiriability effect-interwiwees may give answers to present themsleve in positive light