Sample Interview Matrix:

Adapted from Castillo-Montoya (2013). A study of first-generation African American and Latino undergraduates developing sociopolitical consciousness in introductory sociology
classes

Research Question 1: Research Type of Question Structure of

How and to what extent do student discussions about their lives and sense Question 2: (Background/demographic, Question
behaviors/experiences, (Introductory,
of self and society indicate: How do the opinions/beliefs, feelings, Transition, Key,
students knowledge, sensory Closing)
describe experiences)
themselves
awareness of understanding knowledge of acts of other ways of and society in
sociopolitical of the critiquing and thinking or relation to the
forces (i.e. sociopolitical interconnectio analyzing acting toward sociopolitical
race, class, forces? n sociopolitical sociopolitical forces operating
gender, of forces? forces? in
citizenship sociopolitical
their everyday
status, etc.)? forces?
lives?
Let’s Background Introductory
begin by question
discussing the
neighborhood
where you grew
up. Where did
you grew up?
What was that Background Transition
neighborhood or question
town like when
you were
growing up
there?
How would X X X X Background Key
you describe question
_________
(neighborhood
where they grew
up)? In
answering this
question you can
focus on the
people, the
families, the
organizations, or
anything else
that stands out to
you the most
when you think
about your
childhood
neighborhood
How do you X X X X X Experience/ Key
think that behavior
growing up in
_________
influenced who
you are today?
Can you tell X X X X X Experience/ Key
me a bit about behavior
how you went
about making
the decision to
pursue a college
education?
What do you X X Knowledge Key
think the word questions
sociology
means?