Interviews

Question 1

What are structured/formal interviews?

Answer 1

They are essentially a verbal questionnaire. The interviewer is given strict standards listed instructions on how to ask questions in precisely the same way,word for word, same order, tone of voice etc

Question 2

What are unstructured/informal interviews?

Answer 2

They are like a guided conversation where the interviewer has complete freedom to vary the questions,wording and order etc.

Question 3

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 3

In between the two each interview has the same set of questions in common, but the interviewer can probe for more detailed information

Question 4

An example study of semi-structured interviews

Answer 4

CICOUREL and KITSUSE always followed up their questions with ‘How do you mean’ as a way of getting more information

Question 5

What are group interviews? + example

Answer 5

Can be up to 12-15 people being interviewed. E.g WILLIS used these apart of his research into anti-school subcultures.

Question 6

(GI) What are focus groups?

Answer 6

They are a form of group interviews on which the researcher asks a group to discuss certain topics and records their views

Question 7

(SI’s) Practical issues

Answer 7

-Training interviewers is straightforward but it is more costly than questionaries

-Results are easily testable, therefore are suitable for hypothesis testing

Question 8

(SI’s) Response rate

Answer 8

-SI’s have a high response rate as people find it difficult to turn down face-to-face request. (increases representativeness)

Question 9

(SI’s) 3.Reliability

Answer 9

SI’s are viewed as reliable because they are standardised and control and can therefore be repeated.

Question 10

(SI’s) 4.Validity (criticism)

Answer 10

-Critics of SI’s argue that like questionaries, the closed questions reduce validity of responses as the freedom of the interviewee is restricted.

Question 11

(SI’s) 5.Inflexibility

Answer 11

-Like questionaries they suffer from inflexibility of having standardised questions and pre-determined questions (impacts validity)

Question 12

(SI’s) 6.Feminist criticisms

Answer 12

-In SI’s, the researcher is dominant and in control of the interview. Feminists say that this mirrors women’s subordination in wider society

Question 13

What type of interview does feminists and Interpretivists favour?

Answer 13

Favour unstructured interviews which enable the researcher to build a more equal and collaborative relationship based on trust, empathy and support.

Question 14

(UI’s) (ADV) 1.Rapport and sensitivity

Answer 14

-The informality of UI’s allows the researcher to develop a rapport (where conversation reflects a relationship of trust and understanding) with the interviewee

Question 15

Study of UI’s Rapport and sensitivity

Answer 15

DOBASH and DOBASH used them to study domestic violence. The empathy of the researcher will help interviewee to feel more comfortable discussing difficult issues

Question 16

(UI’s) (ADV) 2. The interviewees view

Answer 16

-Unlike SI’s the provide great freedom and scope for the interview to speak about things they think are important and relevant to research in their own terms.

Question 17

(UI’s) (ADV) 3.Checking Understanding

Answer 17

-The interviewer and interviewee can check each others meanings and follow up questions can clarify misunderstandings

Question 18

(UI’s) (DISASV) 1.Practical problems

Answer 18

-As UI’s are in depth explorations, they take a long time to conduct and this limits the number of them that can be carried out making a relatively small sample

Question 19

(UI’s) (DISADV) 2.Representativeness

Answer 19

-Samples will rarely be representative due to the smaller number of UI’s that can be conducted (difficult to make generalisations)

Question 20

(UI’s) (DISADV) 3. Reliability

Answer 20

-UI’s are not reliable as they are not standardised as each interview is unique. Therefore it is impossible for another researcher to replicate this and check findings

Question 21

What is the interview as a social interaction?

Answer 21

All interviews involve social interaction. The danger here, is that the interviewee may be responding not to the questions asked, but to the social situation in which they are asked.

Social interaction can threaten the validity of interviews in several ways

Question 22

(The interview as a social interaction) 1. Interviewer Bias

Answer 22

-Interviewers may consciously or unconsciously influence the answer by their facial expression, body language or tone of voice etc.

Question 23

Example of Interviewer Bias (interview as a social interaction)

Answer 23

OAKLEY admitted that as a mother herself, she found it difficult to remain detached and neutral when she was interviewing other women about maternity and childbirth

Question 24

(Interview as a social interaction) 2.Artificality

Answer 24

-Even the most relaxed UI’s is still an interview and not quite a normal conversation under these artificial conditions. (follow up interviews help to check and improve validity of answers)

Question 25

(Interview as a social interaction) 3.Status and power inequalities

Answer 25

-Inequalities between interviewer and interviewee may impact on the interviewee’s honesty or willingness to answer. (biggest status difference, the less valid the data)

Question 26

Example of Status and power inequalities (Interview as a social interaction)

Answer 26

RICH found that when adults interview children, the child’s need to please the interviewer will affect their answers

Question 27

What is meant by rapport in relation to interviewing?

Answer 27

Where a conversation reflects trust and understanding.

Question 28

Two similarities between SI’s and postal questionaries

Answer 28

> Both provide same structured questions for each interviewee to answer with no flexibility

> Both are more likely to be used by Positivists as they are both detached and easier to provide a more macro level of quantitative data

Question 29

Why might interviewer bias be more likely in a UI than a SI

Answer 29

because the interviewer is creating the questions based upon the person being interviewed

Question 30

Two ways in which sociologists can improve the validity of interviews as a source of data

Answer 30

> If the interviewee feels more comfortable they may provide more honest answers

> If they are culturally matched