INTERVIEWS

Question 1

4 different types, what are they?

Answer 1

1. Structured/ formal
2. Unstructured/ informal
3. Semi-structured
4. Group interviews

Question 2

Practical Issues; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 2

• More costly due to having to train interviewers
• Can’t reach as big numbers as questionnaires
• Easily quantifiable

Question 3

Response Rate; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 3

• People are more likely to accept an interview than do a questionnaire
• Young and Willmott; out of 987 people asked, only 54 refused

Question 4

Reliability; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 4

• Easily repeatable

Question 5

Validity; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 5

• Closed-ended questions restrict interviewees
• Little freedom for interviewers to explain the meaning of a question
• People may exaggerate

Question 6

Inflexibility; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 6

• Have to draw up questions in advance

- A snapshot of life

Question 7

Feminist Criticisms; STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 7

• Patriarchal and give a distorted, invalid picture of women’s experience
• See women as isolated individuals, not oppressed
• Difficult to express their experiences which conceals unequal power

Question 8

Rapport and sensitivity; UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 8

• More likely to develop a rapport
• Eases the interviewee and encourages them to open up
• Example: Labov (1973)

Question 9

The Interviewee’s view; UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 9

• Lets the interviewee decide what’s important
• Allows for fresh insights and valid data
• Dean and Taylor-Gooby (1992)

Question 10

Checking understanding; UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 10

• Questions can be explained

- Follow-up questions can be put to clarify matters

Question 11

Flexibility; UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 11

• Highly flexible

- New ideas can be formulated

Question 12

Exploring unfamiliar topics; UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

Answer 12

• Can learn as we go along

Question 13

Disadvantages of UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS

(PET)- P

Answer 13

• Time and sample size; take a long time to conduct which limits how many can be done
• Training; must be a sociologist
• Interpersonal Skills

Question 14

Disadvantages of UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS; Representativeness

Answer 14

• Harder to make valid generalisations based on the findings of interviews

Question 15

Disadvantages of UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS; Reliability

Answer 15

• Impossible to replicate

Question 16

Disadvantages of UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS; Quantification

Answer 16

• Answers can’t be pre-coded

- Difficult to count up the amount of interviewees agreeing/disagreeing with a question

Question 17

Disadvantages of UNSTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS; Validity

Answer 17

• Due to the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee, this distorts the information obtained

Question 18

Ways social interactions can threaten the validity of interviews:

Answer 18

1. Interviewer bias
   - From asking leading questions
   - Oakley (1982); hard to remain detached
2. Artificiality
   - Doubtful whether truthful answers can be obtained
3. Status and Power Inequalities
   - Bigger the status difference, the less valid the data
   - Rich (1968); the child’s need to please the interviewer will affect their answers
4. Cultural Differences
   - Undermines validity
5. Social Desirability
   - People often seek to win approval
6. Ethical issues
   - Interviewee may feel under pressure
   - Sensitive topics may also risk causing sociological harm

Question 19

How to improve the validity of interviews?

Answer 19

• Kinsey (1953); Asking questions rapidly so that people weren’t lying
• Becker (1971); aggression, disbelief and ‘playing dumb’
• Nazroo (1997); make sure the interviewers and the interviewees are ethically and language-matched