Interview Assignment

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

In this homework assignment, you will demonstrate competency for Student Learning Outcome #4. As described in the syllabus, "students will demonstrate knowledge of social science methods of inquiry." So you will practice utilizing the research methods of social scientists by conducting an in-depth qualitative interview. Note that this is one kind of a variety of research methods that social scientists use, depending on their research question(s).

The primary goal of this assignment is to test your understanding of sexual violence and victimization by having you analyze how someone who is not an expert on these topics understands them. You will conduct one interview for this assignment, but if you were conducting a full-scale social science research project, you would likely interview at least 20 respondents.

The secondary goal of this assignment is to map out collectively how older people understood sexual violence as they were coming of age. One of the recurring themes of this course is that cultural meanings about social problems like sexual violence change across time and place. By tracking how older people's understandings of the issue are both different from and similar to your own understandings, we will begin to see the evolution of a social problem.

DIRECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

Choosing a Participant

First, you will need to find an older person (at least one generation older than you are, so about 50 years of age, at minimum) who will agree to talk with you about his or her ideas about sexual violence when they were younger.

(Note: you are not inquiring about their personal experiences of victimization/perpetration, but rather the broader cultural lessons, stories, and cases they heard about the issue as they were growing up.) It does not matter whether this person's views are typical or exceptional, only that they are willing to talk to you. Tell them that the conversation will last about one hour, that you will not disclose their identity, and that you will not be asking them about personal experiences of victimization.

Preparing for the Interview

Second, you will need to prepare for the interview by figuring out precisely which topics you want to cover and how you will get your interviewee to start talking about them. The list of questions that we generated in class is posted on Isidore.

Think about how you might want to tailor these questions, depending on who your participant is, when they were born, and your prior relationship. Some topics
may be best posed as direct questions (avoid questions that elicit one word, or yes/no types of answers), and others might require you to be more creative.

For example, you might want to give concrete examples or cases for your interviewee to discuss, or even assume a devil's advocate stance on a controversial issue that you think might provoke a response.

Conducting the Interview

As you conduct your interview, keep two points in mind. First, let the exchange develop and flow as naturally as possible, as a kind of focused conversation. If topics come up in a different order than you planned, or if your participant is unable or unwilling to answer some questions, that is fine.

Just try to make sure that all the points you want to cover are touched on at some point. Second, take
careful notes during the interview. In fact, if your participant is willing, you might consider tape- recording the conversation. You will refer back to your notes during your write-up (using direct quotes is recommended), so the more details you capture initially, the smoother your analysis process will be.

Although you are not asking directly about personal experiences of victimization (or perpetration), it is possible that your participant could disclose such details. In the event that this occurs, you should have references on hand for local anti-rape organizations (check out the National Sexual Violence Resource Center for a list of organizations in your area).

Writing the Analysis

The final step in the process is writing up a brief description and analysis of your findings. Your objective is to make some kind of an argument about your participant's understandings of sexual violence as they were coming of age, comparing and contrasting them with what you have learned in this course. Be sure to directly engage with course materials, including readings.

Remember that what your participant does not discuss might be just as revealing as what he or she does discuss. In your write-up, include a reflective discussion of your interview process and what it was like to conduct a social science interview on sexual violence. Your analysis should be 3-5 pages (double- spaced).

ASSESSMENT

Students will be assessed on: a) the clarity of the presentation of their participant's views; b) the strength of your original argument and your ability to develop it throughout the essay; c) your critical reflection on the interview process; and d) your engagement with course materials.