Assignment

5 pages, 12 point font, Times New Roman, Double-Spaced

Objectives:

1. To practice and embody a way to be critical and compassionate while listening to others.
2. Understand how dialogic listening and communication are socially constructed and are dependent on a person-to-person basis.
3. To practice asking open-ended questions rather than loaded questions.
4. To identify the ways that Verbal and Nonverbal gestures play a role in how we communicate.
5. To understand how listening is an act of communication to be critically reflexive towards our own position.

Guidelines for the interview (in terms of the interviewer/interviewee relationship):

1. Find someone who has a different political view than yourself and interview them on at least 3 different relevant and current political topics.

a. Make sure you have their permission to write about them before you interview them; let the other person know why you're interviewing them.

2. Ask that interviewee open ended questions about their respective stance on each political issue.

a. Avoid loaded questions such as, "You said you don't think abortion should be legal, why do you hate women?"

b. Instead ask more open ended and clarifying questions such as, "You said you think abortion should be legal when did you first decide to take this position? Can you identify a specific moment(s)?"

3. As you ask each question allow the other person space to fully form their ideas and thoughts. Avoid interjecting or asking more questions until you feel like the other person has completely finished.

4. Have enough questions prepared and enough time set aside that you can have your interviewee fully articulate their thoughts.

5. TAKE NOTES DURING THE INTERVIEW.You can use an audio recorder, but having more synthesized written notes is beneficial. You most likely won't write this immediately after the interview and having notes to reflect back on is essential.

As an interviewer consider your own identity:

-When reflecting back on the political topics you covered what ethical dangers or pitfall of Dialogic Listening did you have to avoid? (Ch. 4)

-In what ways were you ignorant to their perspectives?

-Compare privileges, in what ways are they more privileged and in what ways are you more privileged?

-Notice nonverbal communication during the interview (gestures, movements, and facial expressions). (Ch. 8)

-How were you "holding back" in terms of emotions? Did the interviewee say something that you knew to be factually incorrect?

Below is a list of other possible ideas to consider when interviewing your person to help expand on their answers

-How do they view themselves?
-Does their race, gender, sexuality, economic status, age influence their political agenda?
-How does society view them? Do they face stereotypes based on their political identity?
-How do they understand their privileges?
-Do they feel their voice is heard?
-Are they reflexive in the way they behave or in the language they use?
-What artifacts or physical objects do they use to express themselves?
-Is their position on the subject popular, unheard, or something in-between?

Structure and Organization of the Paper:

These questions are simply prompts. The paper should tell a story. Don't simply type out the interview script.

You need a clear introduction and conclusion.

There should be two main body sections to this paper:

1. The analysis of the Interview

a. What was said? Not verbatim, but give the highlights, what parts stuck out the most?

b. Where did the interview take place? Was this conducive or detrimental to the interview?

c. What were the three political issues you covered?

d. How long was the Interview?

e. How did the interviewee nonverbal & verbal gestures change depending on the topic?

f. How does the interviewee's identity i.e. race, gender, sexuality, political stance, etc. influence their responses? Do not stereotype them, but instead inquire with them, allow them to answer this response so you can report your findings correctly.

g. From what location are their responses coming from? Lived experiences, educational knowledge, etc.?

h. Other ideas from the interview you can think to analyze.

2. Your emotions and reactions as an interviewer

a. What were your emotions during the interview?
b. Was it difficult to stay open during this process?
c. What is your relationship to the interviewee? How does this affect the overall process of the interview? (Ch. 11)

Text Book: Communication- A Critical/Cultural Introduction Second Edition by John T. Warren and Deanna L. Fassett.