unstructured interview

Question 1

unstructured interview

Answer 1

set of unstandardized questions

Question 2

case study

Answer 2

dobash and dobash radial feminists
dean and taylor gooby

Question 3

dobash and dobash radial feminists

Answer 3

·Used statistics from police court records in Scotland as background data to find information on domestic violence victims.
Then they carried out in depth unstructured interviews, some of which took 8 hours.
Found the trigger for DV was when a woman challenged male authority – “I was trying to defend myself”.
They argue that marriage legitimates violence against women by giving men power and authority over their wives.

Question 4

dean and taylor gooby

Answer 4

Used unstructured tape-recorded interviews to investigate claimants’ experiences of unemployment.
Involved 85 claimants with interviews lasting up to 90 minutes.
Questions were not put in any set order.
The wording of questions was adapted to fit the circumstances of the respondent and/or interview situation.
Questions that were inappropriate were taken out.
The interviewer used discretion by being able to use additional questions or prompts to clarify things when needed.
This approach gave interviewees the freedom to talk in their own terms about the issues that concern them.

Question 5

unstructured interview practical advantage

Answer 5

· Very informal nature allows the interviewer to build a rapport with the interviewee. This can then put the interviewee at ease and encourage them to open up more compared to a formal structured interview. · Checking understanding - you can check each other’s meanings within the interview, especially if someone does not understand a question or is unsure about the meaning behind an answer. · They can then ask follow-up questions and probe interviewees for further clarification. · Highly flexible – interviewer is not restricted to a fixed set of questions and can explore new ideas. · Exploring unfamiliar topics - if the sociologist is researching something they know very little about, unstructured interviews may allow them to get a more detailed insight.

Question 6

unstructured interview practical disadvantage

Answer 6

· Time consuming – unstructured interviews are in-depth explorations and therefore take a long time to conduct – often several hours each. · This can limit the number that can be carried out, and therefore result in a smaller sample compared to a structured interview. · Training – the interviewer needs to have a background in sociology so they can recognise when the interviewee has made a sociologically important point and can then probe further. All of this adds to the cost of conducting unstructured interviews. · Interpersonal skills – interviewers need good interpersonal skills so that they can establish a rapport that is essential if interviewees to answer fully and honestly.

Question 7

unstructured interview ethical advantage

Answer 7

Building a rapport can help to research sensitive topics. The interviewer can gain the trust of the interviewee and therefore more likely to open up e.g. Dobash & Dobash. · Interviewees do not have to reveal anything they do not want to and can talk about what they want. · Researcher can help to minimise harm e.g. build a rapport, be patient and sensitive. · Informed consent is gained.

Question 8

unstructured interview ethical disadvantage

Answer 8

· Uncomfortable discussing sensitive issues to someone face to face. · Psychological harm may occur when participants recall negative experiences.

Question 9

unstructured interview theoretical advantage

Answer 9

· Interpretivists favour as you can allow for greater freedom within the interview by not sticking to a script. This allows interviewees to be able to express their views. · This allows you to gain verstehen as the interviewer can build a relationship of trust and understanding (rapport). · The greater flexibility increases validity, this is because it provides more opportunities to build trust and rapport.

Question 10

unstructured interview theoretical disadvantage

Answer 10

· Positivists dislike as they’re unstructured, unstandardized questions so each interview is unique. This makes it impossible for another researcher to replicate the study (low reliability). · Hawthorne Effect – interviewees may lie or exaggerate answers due to leading questions or interviewer bias. · Leading Q’s & Interviewer Bias – tone of voice and body language · Smaller numbers mean it is more likely the sample will not be representative.