unstructured interviews and focus groups

Question 1

what kind of methods is an unstructured interview? and what kind of methodist favour this?

Answer 1

primary, favoured by interpretivist

Question 2

name the 3 strengths of unstructured interviews?

Answer 2

rapport and sensitivity,flexibility and validity and exploring unfamilar topic

Question 3

what is rapport?

Answer 3

the sense of connection you feelwhen you meet someone you like so you can establish trust and understanding

Question 4

how do unstructured interviews provide rapport and sensitivity?and what kind of factor is this?

Answer 4

practical factor and because it allows more time for the interviwer to talk to the participants and gain trust

Question 5

name an example of when an unstructured interview achieved rapport and sensitivity?

Answer 5

dobash and dobash and their study on domestic violence as they spent many months interviewing the participants they could establish a relationship and trust with them

Question 6

how does an unstructured interview provide flexibility and validity? and what kind of factor is this?

Answer 6

theoritacal factor and because it allows participants more freedom to express their view to the interviwer so it allows the data to be in depth allowing versthen

Question 7

name an example of when an unstructured interview provided flexibility and validity?

Answer 7

oakley as she was able to fully research the expericence of becoming a mother in modern society in depth due to the freedom

Question 8

how does an unstructured interview allow exploring unfamilar topics?what kind of factor is this?

Answer 8

because during the conversation you can find things out that you would not have know prevously due to the freedom unlike structured where u have to know more information before hand, practical factor

Question 9

name an example of when an interviewer was able to explore unfamilar topics?

Answer 9

becker through his 50 interviews he was able to explore the whole of the deviant career of drug use which he did not previously know

Question 10

name the 3 limitations of unstructured interviews?

Answer 10

time and cost,interviwer bias or effect and unrepresentativeness

Question 11

explain how time and cost is a limitation in unstructured interviews?what kind of factor is this?

Answer 11

they can take a lot of time as interviwers would be developing rapport and dont have a set structure,its costly because more training is needed to ensure they are skilled to develop rapport. practical

Question 12

name and example of where unstrutured interviews where costly and time consuming?

Answer 12

dobash and dobash research on domestic violence where each interview took 2-12 hrs and was conducted by 2 female reaserch assitance taking pay for months

Question 13

how does unstructured interview produce interviwer bias or effect?what kind of factor is this?

Answer 13

because of how unstructured it is the interviwer could affect the respondents replies through things like their facial expressions or body language.thoretical

Question 14

name an example of where interviwer bias and effect was a limitation to unstructured intervies?

Answer 14

in oakley study in the expericence of being a mother mant felt that being invoved in the research may have influenced their experiences being a mother

Question 15

how does unstructured interviews give unrepresentativeness? and what kind of factor is this?

Answer 15

the sample collected will be small due to how time consuming the interviews are

Question 16

name an example of where unstructured interviews has limited the representativeness?

Answer 16

oakley’s original sample size was 66 but due to how time consuming the interviews where it went down to 55

Question 17

what is a focus group interview?

Answer 17

it is a group interview where the sociologist is the facilitator of the interview

Question 18

how many people are in the group interview typically and what kind of data is it?

Answer 18

6-12 and qualitative data

Question 19

name an example of where a group interview was used?

Answer 19

paul willis study on 12 working class boys during there last year of secondary school

Question 20

name 3 strengths of group interviews?

Answer 20

observe group dynamics, high validity, fexibility

Question 21

(strength)observe group dynamic-

Answer 21

see whos in charge and see how the people in the group communicate with each other

Question 22

(strength)high validity-

Answer 22

participants may be more at ease being in a group so they are more likely to give more honest information

Question 23

(streghth)fexibility-

Answer 23

not a strict structure so it allows you to build a relationship and see how the flow of the conversation goes

Question 24

name 3 limitations of focus groups?

Answer 24

group may waste time/take over, hawthorne effect and low reliablity

Question 25

limitation-group may waste time/take over-

Answer 25

particularly with deviant groups they may not take the reaserch seriously

Question 26

limitation, hawthorne effect-

Answer 26

if they are sat with friends they may be less likely to tell the tryth to the researcher

Question 27

limitation- low reliablity-

Answer 27

will not be able to repeat it in the same way