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Appendix B. Interview Guides
- Temple University Press
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Appendix B Intervie~ C;uides Pilot Interview Guide (#1) 1. Typical Day (Entrance strategy: identify topics of interest and concern, expected and preferred activities) What do you do on a typical day? Describe a typical dayyesterday , the day before, tomorrow. Which of these activities do you find most/least enjoyable? Which of these activities contributes to your own happiness or self-interest, to your family, to your community, to social concerns? • What motivates you to do those things which you find least enjoyable or ofleast importance? 2. Ideal/Real Life Goals (Values for self; self-reported behavior relative to values) • When you were twenty years old, what did you want most to do with your life? Have you done it? If so, what factors enabled you to fulfill this goal? If not, what factors made it difficult for you to meet your goal? • What would you like to be doing ten years from now? What do you think you actually will be doing? (Same question about aiding/inhibiting factors.) 3. Socialization oj Children (Crucial measure of perpetuation of values of upper-class way of life and role of woman) • What important values do you most want your son(s) to learn? How do you personally go about teaching him these 160 Copyrighted Material values? What activities/groups is he involved in outside the family that reinforce these values? (Same question for daughters, noting differences and comparing with values of subject herself. Encourage subject to talk more about her own values and any changes in her own values, as evidenced in teaching children.) 4. Awareness ofClass Membership and Contribution of K0men's Activities to Class Interests Would you say that you belong to an identifiable segment of a community whose values and activities are similar to yours? (If subject denies such class membership or does not speak in class terms, probe about origin of values and activities, presence ofsupport group, reasons for not belonging.) What other characteristics does this group share? (Ask about those obvious ones not mentioned, i.e. , family background, husband's occupation, money, clubs, schools.) Early in our interview, I asked you which of your activities you considered to be the most important contribution to your family and your community. How do your activities contribute , if at all, toward making your segment of the community a particularly influential one? What are your responsibilities, if any, as a woman member of this influential group? Are there ways in which you would like to exert your own influence as a member of this class? (N.B. The term "class" is used purposely at this late point in the interview to extract the subject's response to it.) (Ask subject for referral to another woman "of your group, concerns," etc.) Revised Interview Guide (#2) 1. Tefl me about the activities you're involved in outside the home? (If not mentioned, ask about volunteer work, social clubs and organizations .) Copyrighted Material 161 [3.236.147.122] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 14:22 GMT) a. Which of these activities do you consider of most importance and why? b. Which of these activities do you particularly enjoy? Are there any that you don't particularly enjoy? (e. g., most of us have to engage in activities we may not especially like for various reasons. Is that true for you?) Why do you think you continue in those activities you don't particularly enjoy? 2. Tell me about your responsibilities at home. a. .. first in relation to your children. What, for example, do you want most for them in life? Consider the following: - values and life goals (definition of success) - behavioral expectations or norms - lessons, social clubs, entertaining of friends, extracurricular activities, summer work, travel - school (private/public) - most important characteristics of a good education (educational and social value) - occupation preferred for children (what about the girls?) b. .. now let's talk about your responsibilities as a wife. Consider the following: - kinds of activities you do together with your husband - kinds of activities you're more likely to do separately - assignment of responsibilities at home. (For example, what is your husband responsible for at home? And you? What about hostessing, managing family finances and investments ?) - wife's involvement with husband's work (For example, discuss problems) - important decisions (How were they made in the past?) - place of residence, schools for children c. Do you have other responsibilities at home that we haven't talked about? 162 Appendix BCopyrighted Material 3. In general, do you...