interviews Flashcards
what is an interview?
a formal conversation or set of questions face to face between a researcher and interviewee(s)
what is a structured interview?
takes the form of standardised questions and everyone who participates issued the same questions in the same order.
what is an unstructured interview?
takes the form of a guided conversation with the interviewer following certain topics and themes that they may want to discuss but with no set structure.
what are the strengths of unstructured interviews?
*practical
-training interviewers is straightforward and cheap and quick
-large numbers of poplin a small amount of time
-easily qualified and analyse
*ethical- under no obligation to answer any intrusive or sensitive questions
- the interviewer can guarantee anonyminity
-informed consent
*theoretical- positivists favour due to quantitative data and they generally have a higher response rate than questionnaires
-high in reliability as it is standardised and conrtrolled
-limited bias
what are the weaknesses of structured interviews?
*practical-
-more time consuming and costly than postal questionnaires. this is because interviews are often slow and interviewers have to be paid
-cant cover as large numbers as postal questionnaires
*ethical-not suitable for exploring highly sensitive topics as there is no opportunity to establish a rapport and develop trust
*theoretical-
interpretivists dislike as questions are close ended restricting interviewees to a set of a few questions as a result they may lack vehstehen and the answers may not fit what they interviewee really has to say
interviewers tone of voice, body language e.c.t may effect answers
social desirability- fear of being judged
what are the strengths of unstructured interviews?
*practical-
- very informal nature allows the interviewer to build trust and put the interviewer at ease
-check understanding and clarify meanings
-highly flexible as not resricted to a fixed set of questions
-can explore unfamiliar topics
*ethical-building a rapport takes time can help research sensitive topics
-interviewees do not have to reveal anything that they do not want to
-help to minimise harm e.g be patient
-informed consent
*theoretical-
- interp favour as you can allow for greater freedom allowing interviewees to be able to express their views- vehstehen-validity-flexibility
what are the weaknesses of unstructured interviews?
*practical- Time consuming as they are in depth which can limit the number that can be carried out
-interviewer needs training and background in sociology to be able to recognise an important point and probe this further
-interpersonal skills- so can establish a rapport
*ethical- uncomfortable discussing sensitive issues to someone face to face
-emotional harm may occur
*theoretical- positivists dislike as they are unstructured unstandardised questions so each interview is unique - cannot repeat- low reliability
social desirability- fear of being judged
what are the strengths of focus groups?
*practical- less time consuming than other interviews
-subject matter-good way of generating initial ideas
*ethical- informed consent is gained by attending the interview
-combine questioning with the opportunity to observe dynamics and norms. makes it suitable with vunerable groups as it creates a safe peer environment
*theoretical- interp favour as can gain vehstehen and participants may feel more comfortable so open up giving real in-depth data
what are the weaknesses of focus groups?
*practical- long time to analyse data as it may be complex
- a large group may be more difficult to control and manage and keep on the discussion topic
*ethical- can be uncomfortable to discuss sensitive issues infant of a large group
-may feel that they are unable to withdraw due to group dynamic
-peer group pressure means that some people may feel unsafe
*theoretical- positivists dislike , social desirability, change responses due to group dynamics, data may not be representative as people may not contribute honestly.
what is the evidence for structured interviews?
*wilmott and young- 933 people on extended families in east London, formal and standardised questions on factual topics like age , religion, birthplace and the interviewer had to ring the appropriate code to answer, 10 mins to 30 mins
*british crime survey- crime since 1981 and asks members of the public about their experience of crime over the past few months. placed over the phone or in the home. the aim was to find which crimes do not get reported or recorded.
what is the evidence for unstructured interviews?
*carlen- looked at why some women commit crimes, 39 unstructured interviews of women aged 15-46, didn’t have the class or didn’t have the gender deal meaning they were in poverty or did not get the emotional rewards from the expressive role in the home. e.g been abused by fathers
*dobash and dobash - study into domestic violence against wives and attempts to explain dv in modern society
main trigger was when a woman challenged male authority by not performing her domestic duties to his satisfaction
-marriage legitimises gender equality
what is the evidence for focus groups?
*Paul willis- group interviews and non participant observations . with a Neo marxist approach he wanted to know what impact their wc background had on their educational progress. he prevented himself from talking as much as he could
* Zoe James- groups who have difficult relationships with the police, she observed new travellers , suspicious of outsiders, 17 unstructured interviews and 1 focus group, snowball sampling, not taped as they were very wary.
