SOCI 2001B: Assignment 7

Professor Alex Bing

Ashlyn Murray - 101231372

March 29, 2023

Reflection 3

Throughout my qualitative project “The Effects of an Absent Mother on Female Students

Relationships with Other Female Students” I plan to use an unstructured interview process that

will allow for me to sit back and listen to my participants. More specifically, I do not want to be

in strict control of what my participants feel they need to share with me, but instead hope to

provide them with the opportunity to voluntarily open up and provide me with what they want to

share with me, ultimately capturing their raw emotions and mentalities regarding the subject at

hand. However, this class has taught me that it is still important to come up with some potential

topics and questions that I hope to cover during the interviews and can loosely keep in the back

of my mind. In doing so, I can quickly improvise on the spot depending on what each participant

says or does and most importantly, I can redirect the conversation into a more relevant direction

just in case it ever gets too flexible and ends up going extremely off topic. That being said, here

are some questions that I believe should be touched upon at some point throughout my

conversation with participants:

1. How would you describe your personal experience of growing up without a motherly figure

in the home? (Control group - How would you describe your personal experience of growing

up with a motherly figure in the home?)

2. Can you tell me about any crucial experiences or life lessons in particular that you feel you

missed out on because you grew up without a motherly figure in the home? (Control group -

Can you tell me about any crucial experiences or life lessons in particular that you feel as if

you have gained something from as a result of growing up surrounded by a motherly figure?)

3. What factors do you consider when attempting to form a relationship with another student?

(Follow up - Are these factors a reflection of the personal values of the male/female authority

figure you grew up with?)

4. Based on these factors, do you find it easier and more comfortable to approach either male or

females when seeking to have a supportive and successful interaction or relationship with

other students?

5. Etc.