Unstructured Interviews (20)

Question 1

Interviews

Answer 1

A series of questions put by a researcher to a respondent
Primary Research Collection
Qualitative and Quantitative Data collection through the use of different approaches and questions

Question 2

Unstructured Interviews

Answer 2

A Guided Conversation. The interviewer has a mental list of topics to cover. Extended sessions of conversations where an interviewer asks open Qs and respondents answer freely and in-depth.
Qualitative Data collected.

Question 3

Reliability of Unstructured Interviews

Answer 3

Gather a fantastic amount of data and consequently, the researcher has to be selective in what they publish in support of the hypothesis. Bias as what is left put may contradict the hypothesis
Hard to Replicate.
No pre-coded Qs or answers. Qual data. is difficult to analyse and categorise due to the sheer volume of material
No SP as different Questions every time. So less Reliable. Qual is hard to compare as so personal.

Question 4

Representativeness of USI

Answer 4

Fewer ppts included due to length process so less representative of the general or specific target population as a result
Hard to generalise to the wider population based on research with such a small
sample

Question 5

Representativeness Example (Woods and Skegg)

Answer 5

Wood and Skeggs: Conducted a study on working class people portrayal on reality TV of 40 women from South London. The research gathered on the impact of shows like Wife Swap or Towie cannot be generalised to others.

Question 6

Validity of USI

Answer 6

They provide richer, vivid and colourful data, data collected speaks for itself as quotations from those interviewed so highly valid
If they feel at ease with the interviewer, more likely to open up and say what they are really thinking so valid. Flexibility can ask for more information and clarification so in-depth understanding and answers.
Respondent is at the centre of research and will discuss sensitive and painful experiences if Interviewer is empathic, sympathetic and interested
Rapport puts at ease. So are truthful. As trust means subject will open up more.
Potential for Researcher Bias and Demand Characteristics

Question 7

Validity Example (Interviewer Effect: Willams)

Answer 7

The greater the status difference between them the less likely the respondents are to express themselves.
Also found African American in the 60s were more likely to say they supported civil rights to a black interviewer over a white interviewer
Want to present themselves positively so exaggerate socially desirable traits and conceal things that are undesirable

Question 8

Validity Example (Personal Bias: Oakley)

Answer 8

Acknowledges her personal bias. It is normal. It was the rapport she built during her interviews which allowed her to ask the personal questions. Like ‘were you interested in holding your baby for the first time’
70% admitted they weren’t
Demonstrates the effectiveness of rapport

Question 9

Practical Issues

Answer 9

Expensive because training needs to be thorough and specialised. Interviewers need to be trained to be interpersonal skills so they reap the benefits of good relationships and rapport.
Time-consuming to conduct and analyse all the qualitative data
Funding issues as they need to pay for training and experimenter. Maybe Neish and biased sample as they need to be smaller.

Question 10

Theoretical Perspective: Interpretivism

Answer 10

Argue this method is ethnographic because it can be conducted out in a natural setting of the respondent where they feel comfortable.
Enhanced by the fact interviews are in-depth and carried out over hours rather than minutes.
More than one respondent.

Question 11

Theoretical Perspective: Positivists

Answer 11

Critical. Biased data. Not quantifiable or representative.
Also, expensive which isn’t viable in research due to funding issues.
Dependent on respondents recall and willingness to admit their behaviour or perceptions on certain behaviour

Question 12

Theoretical Perspective: Feminism (Gatrell)

Answer 12

20 Heterosexual women-highly paid professional work-degree level or higher. They all had at least one baby or pre-school child.
Participant drawn from the UK, make women anonymous
Used snowballing approach-gained access through this approach.
Mothers and fathers interviewed separately
Themes were classified under 1) Becoming a parent 2) Guilt and motherhood 3) Domestic labour 4) Fatherhood
Sample small- unrepresentative.

Question 13

Ethical

Answer 13

The method is good for research into sensitive groups.
Gives opportunity for respondents who are wary and suspicious of the interviewer to build relationships.
Anominity and confidentiality are stressed. Encouraging open and valid responses.
Protection from harm and distress.

Question 14

Modern Day Interviews

Answer 14

Researchers may increasingly use electronic software such as Skype or Facetime to conduct interviews. This saves on travelling. In addition, although researchers may still encounter ‘gatekeepers’, there may be fewer risks and barriers to conducting an interview.

Question 15

Becker (Ideal Type)

Answer 15

Topic - Social Class and Education
Interviewed 60 Chicago schoolteachers
Found that teachers classified students via an ‘Ideal Type’
Middle-class students were closest to the ideal student
Becker felt teachers would hide the truth, therefore ‘adopted aggressive conversational tactics’ in the interviews
Argued this was most useful for one-off interviews

Question 16

Interview Effects (Labov)

Answer 16

Topic – Speech patterns and Educational Attainment
Findings - Language of Afro-American students wasn’t ‘inferior’ to standard English
Interviews were ‘problematic’ due to context of the interview and interviewer bias
Labov argues that when interviewees see situations as hostile they didn’t show their true abilities
In ‘friendly’ conditions interviewees opened up and gave a better account of themselves
Age, skin colour, gender, clothing and accent of the interviewer all make a difference to the interviewees’ definition of the interview