Interviews

Created by

Zahra Samad

Cards (33)

What are structured interviews?
When the researcher reads out a lot of questions and writes down or records the answers. Often conducted in standardised way asking each interviewee precisely the same questions in the same order etc. Most questions are pre coded and closed ended
what are semi structured interviews?
Researched has a number of pre set, standardised questions that they will ask each interviewre but also have the opportunity to ask questions that occur to them throughout the interview.
what are unstructured or informal interviews?
More like a guided conversation where the talk is informal but the researcher asks questions to ensure that the participant keeps to the subjects of the research. They can push interviewees more and ask them follow up questions if necessary
What is a group interview?
where up to a dozen people are interviewed at the same time rather than the usual one-to-one interview. Willis in education of working class lads, used group interviews
Give an example of a structured interview:
Willmott + Young. Studied friendship, networks, and social policy
Interviews were carried out with 163 people representing the different classes and males and females in roughly equal numbers.. the overall response rate was 59%, and a team of five women interviewers, and Willmott himself conducted the interviews.
An example of an unstructured interview
Dobash and Dobash Spent many months in continual contact with the refuge spending time engaged in interviewing, and often with sympathetic listeners to women concerned about their future. in most cases, they had a good rapport during interviews and use open ended questions to increase the probability of the respondents answers
(Strength of structured interviews) response rates
Because large numbers can be interviewed. The results tend to be representative and therefore generalisable.. they have a higher response rate than questionnaires. So sample sizes may be big.
(Weaknesses of structured interviews) validity
Structured interviews. Usually use closed, ended questions which restrict what interviewees can say, meaning that they have to choose the closest to what they want to say, reducing validity. it gives researchers very limited opportunities to explain questions, or clarify, misunderstandings. interviewees may lie or exaggerate producing false data.
(Weaknesses of structured interviews) feminist criticisms
Feminists argue that structured, interviews and questionnaires are patriarchal and give a distorted invalid picture of women’s experiences.
This is because the interviewer is in control, rather than any female interviewee, which is the real world where women have less power. They treat women as individuals valid than seeing them as a collective group subjected to power and oppression.
(Strengths of unstructured interviews) interviewees view
Because there are no set questions, it allows the interviewee to talk about things that they think is important, which creates fresh insights and valid data.
In D + Ds study, they were able to adapt the wording and sequencing of questions for each person, allowing the interviewee, the freedom to talk about the things that they felt the most important to them
(Strengths of unstructured interviews) Checking understanding
Interviewers and interviewees can check each other’s meanings as their interviewee can ask for clarification of a question, and an interviewer can ask follow-up questions for more detail
(Strengths of unstructured interviews) Flexibility
The interview is flexible as the interviewer does not have fixed questions and can explore whatever seems interesting or relevant. The interviewer can formulate hypothesis and put them to the test during the interview.
(weaknesses of unstructured interviews) practical problems * time, and sample size*
Because they are in depth, they may take a long time to complete. Therefore the researcher may have to compromise and use a small sample that they might otherwise prefer. This reduces the representativeness of the sample and therefore the generalisability of the findings.
(weaknesses of unstructured interviews) Practical problems * training*
Interviewer needs to be highly skilled so requires more training which costs more money. They also need a background in sociology so that they can recognise when something may be sociologically important and explore it further adding to costs.
(weaknesses of unstructured interviews) Practical problems * interpersonal skills*
Interviewer need to have good interpersonal skills so that they can establish a rapport with the interviewees
(weaknesses of unstructured interviews) Quantification
Because the questions are not pre-coded, it makes it difficult to establish any patterns between the respondents. Therefore, cause an effect cannot be established because of this, Positivists would not favour their Use
(weaknesses of unstructured interviews) Validity
Unstructured interviews are high validity, however, because it is an interaction between an interview and an interviewee critics argue that the data may be distorted.
(challenges with interviewing young people) Practical issues
Problems with their limited linguistic and intellectual skills, for eg reluctance to talk, misunderstanding complex questions + shorter attention spans. Unstructured interviews are more suitable as they allow flexibility to clarify questions, BUT young people may still give unexpected responses, increasing training costs. Informality of school communication can spread interview details, reducing data validity. Interviews on school premises may feel intimidating while teachers + parents may hesitate - see no benefits +Ethical Issues
(challenges with interviewing young people) Reliability and Validity
Structured interviews are reliable due to their standardized format ensuring consistency in questions and tone. BUT, they may lack validity as young people often respond poorly (anti-schl subculture) to formal styles perceiving interviewers as authority figures. While effective, this informal style is difficult to standardise, reducing reliability and making findings less comparable between interviewers.
EG: Diana Bentley improved validity by creating a relaxed atmosphere using humour and friendly gestures
(challenges with interviewing young people) Teacher in disguise
Power and status inequalities -> to distorted responses as interviewees with less power may lie, exaggerate or give pleasing answers reducing validity. Children see adult interviewers as authority figures leading to socially acceptable responses. W/c parents may feel patronized while m/c teachers may feel more equal, minimizing distortion. These dynamics highlight how inequalities in social interactions can compromise data inaccuracy, emphasizing the need to minimise bias.
(challenges with interviewing young people) Access and Response Rates
Schools’ hierarchal structures can complicate access to interviews teachers or pupils, requiring multiple permissions (e.g; headteachers, parents). Schools may restrict interviews during lesson time due to disruptions or objectionable topics (e.g drug use). Conducting interviews outside school hours also poses challenges as parental consent is often needed, with refusal rates higher for sensitive subjects. However official support from headteachers can increase response rates by facilitating pupil participation
(challenges with interviewing young people) Parental Permission and School Hierarchies
Parental consent is often required to interview children with refusal rates higher for sensitive topics. Support from school authorities can improve cooperation as headteachers may instruct teachers to release pupils for interviews, increasing response rates. Parental consent and school dynamics significantly impact the feasibility of research with young people.
Strengths of Structured Interviews- Practicality
P: practicality.
E: Structured interviews are easy to administer because they follow a set list of questions, ensuring consistency and reducing the need for the interviewer to make decisions during the interview.
E: For example, in an educational study, a researcher can use a structured interview to ask teachers the same set of questions about school policies, ensuring that the responses are comparable across all participants.
L: save time, reduce complexity, and make data collection more straightforward and manageable.
Strengths of Structured Interviews- Reliability
P: One strength of structured interviews is their reliability.
E: Since structured interviews follow a fixed set of questions, they can be easily replicated by different researchers or at different times, ensuring consistent and comparable results.
E: For eg, in their study of family life, Wilmott + Young used structured interviews to gather data on family roles and relationships. By asking the same questions to different families, they were able to ensure that their findings were consistent and could be replicated
Weakness of Structured Interviews- Inflexibility
P: Inflexibility.
E: Since structured interviews follow a fixed set of questions, interviewers are unable to explore interesting or relevant topics that may arise during the conversation, limiting the depth of the data collected.
E: For eg, in Wilmott and Young's study of family life, if a participant mentioned something outside the set questions, the interviewer would have been unable to pursue that lead, potentially missing valuable insights into family dynamics or personal experiences.
Strengths of UNstructured Interviews- Rapport and Sensitivity
P: help build rapport and allow for greater sensitivity in dealing with sensitive topics.
E: Since unstructured interviews are more flexible and conversational, interviewers can establish a more personal connection with participants, making them feel more comfortable to discuss sensitive or difficult subjects.
E: For eg Dobash + Dobash used unstructured interviews to gather detailed accounts of DV victims. The flexibility of the interview format allowed them to respond to the emotional needs of the participants.
Strengths of UNstructured Interviews- Exploring Unfamiliar Topics
P: allow researchers to explore unfamiliar or complex topics in depth.
E: means that the interviewer can adapt the conversation to follow unexpected leads or topics that arise during the discussion, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.
E: For eg, Dobash + Dobash used unstructured interviews to explore the experiences of women in abusive relationships. The interview allows participants to share aspects of their experiences that the researchers may not have initially anticipated.
Weakness of UNstructured Interviews- Representativeness
P: lack representativeness.
E: Often conducted on a small sample and are highly individualized, they may not reflect the views or experiences of a broader population.
E: For eg; Dobash + Dobash conducted in-depth interviews with a limited number of women. The small and selective sample may not accurately represent the experiences of all women affected by DV
L: As a result, the findings from unstructured interviews may not be generalizable to the wider population, limiting their overall representativeness.
Weakness of UNstructured Interviews- Reliability
P: lack reliability.
E: Questions can vary from one interview to another, it is difficult to replicate the exact same process with different participants or researchers, leading to inconsistent results.
E: For eg, in the Dobash and Dobash study on domestic violence, each interview could have taken a different course depending on the interviewer's approach and the participant's responses, making it challenging to replicate the study and get the same results each time.
Strengths of Group Interviews- Rich data
P: Can provide rich data through interaction.
E: The group dynamic allows participants to engage with one another, prompting deeper discussion, and participants can build on each other's ideas, leading to more detailed and nuanced insights.
E: I Willis used group interviews to explore the attitudes of working-class boys toward education.- encouraged the boys to interact and challenge each other's views, which helped Willis uncover a deeper understanding of their shared anti-school subculture and the meanings behind their behaviors.
Strengths of Group Interviews- Time and Cost Efficiency
P: time and cost efficiency.
E: Since multiple participants are interviewed simultaneously, researchers can gather data from several people in one session, saving both time and resources compared to individual interviews.
E: For eg Willis' - conducting group interviews with several boys at once allowed him to collect a range of viewpoints on school and education in a single meeting,
L: cost-effectively.
Weakness of Group Interviews- Dominance of certain voices
P: dominance of certain voices, which can skew the data.
E: In a group setting, some participants may dominate the conversation, while others may be reluctant to speak up, leading to an unequal representation of opinions.
E: For eg Willis - certain boys in the group interviews may have been more outspoken or assertive, which could have overshadowed the views of quieter participants, potentially leading to a biased or incomplete picture of their attitudes toward education.
Weakness of Group Interviews- Pressure to conform
P: pressure to conform among participants.
E: Ppts may feel compelled to agree with the majority or align with dominant opinions to avoid conflict or to fit in, leading to less honest or accurate responses.
E: For example, in Willis study, some of the boys in the group interviews may have felt pressured to echo the views of their peers or the dominant group members, even if they privately held different opinions about school or education.
L: This pressure to conform can distort the data,