Sithmi

Activity page 83 – 95

Page 83

In a structured Interview, the interviewer reads the questions from a standardized

interview schedule. Evaluate the view that structured interviews have limited use in
sociological research because they restrict participants’ responses.

Structured interviews are greatly favored by positivist sociologists. They argue that
structured interviews provide many advantages that cannot be found in other types of
interviews. Structured Interviews are highly standardized down to the behavior and tone of
voice of the interviewer. This means that that responses can be more easily compared
among participants and more valid generalizations can be drawn from the research-
especially because the data gathered tends to be quantitative. Further, because of the high
standardization, this type of interview is more replicable and therefore has higher reliability.
Compared to other types of interviews the interviewer effect is comparatively less in
structured interviews. Considering these reasons one can argue for the importance of
structured interviews in sociological research. For example, it can aid in providing general
understandings for a range of topics which can then be used as a framework for deeper
study.

However, Interpretivists and sociologists critical of the use of structured interviews may
argue that its usefulness in sociological research is limited. This argument stems from the
fact that structured interviews constrict the response of the participants. There is no room
for the interviewees to explain or clarify what they are trying to convey. As a consequence
researchers may not understand the actual grounds of the participants’ answers. Its greatest
weakness is that it cannot further develop and explore ideas. In other words, structured
interviews are unlikely to discover the meanings and definitions the participants give to
certain topics. According to most sociologists people take actions, decisions and behave in
particular ways depending on the definitions they give to particular situations. The inability
of structured interviews to uncover the definitions people hold supports the view that it has
little use in sociological research.

Page 84

Evaluate the usefulness of self-completion questionnaires to investigate people’s

experience of bullying.

In contrast to other research methods the use of self-completion questionnaire does not
carry the disadvantage of experimenter/ interviewer effect. This means that amount of
information disclosed by the participants is not affected by the image of the researcher.
Further, some people may find it easier to open up about experiences such as bullying on
paper rather than in an face to face interview for example. However there are several
disadvantages in the use of self-completion questionnaires to investigate peoples
experience of bullying which may undermine its usefulness. For example, the response rate
for a questionnaire of the this type of topic may be very low. People may find it
uncomfortable to share such experiences with research. They may also leave several of the
questions unanswered if they feel that it breaches their privacy. In this case, the absence of
a researcher means that there is no way to ensure the collection of the data. Another
concern of the participants may be the confidentiality of the research, they might be wary of
the researchers and may not fully elaborate on their experience providing very vague
accounts of bullying. Finally, the use of self-completion questionnaires in investigating
peoples experience of bullying does hold the shared problem among all such
questionnaires- there is no guarantee that the questions are understood by all the
participants in the same way. In addition to the participants understanding of the questions,
when it comes to open-ended questions, their individual proficiency in the language can
affect their ability to express themselves fully through written text. As this skill varies among
participants the quality of their answer and therefore the data that can be analyzed from it
can differ. The researcher understanding of these answers can also affect the validity of the
results.

Page 85

1.In Copenhagen, Denmark, for 12 years following WWII, the number of storks nesting in
the city and the number of human babies born went up and down together.

It is likely that the observed correlation between these two factors are due to chance. It is
reasonable to assume that the number of storks nesting in the city may change depending
on how favorable the weather or environment is, these are factors that do not affect the
birth of human children.

2.There appears to be a link between yellow grass and the sales of cold drinks. The
yellower the grass, the more cold drinks are sold.

In this scenario, there is a possibility of a third factor causing there to be an observable

correlation between yellow grass and sales of cold drinks. For example, the heat may be
causing the grass to become dehydrated and dry up, this may also be the same reason why
the sales of colds drinks go up – as the weather is warmer.

Page 89

In a study of business organizations, Martin Parker (2000) found that participants saw him
in different ways.

1.How did each participant see Parker and how might this affect their answers?

Participant number 1 saw Parker as a novice to the subject they were discussing. This seems
to have led him to speak of his opinions and experiences as absolute and not open to any
contradiction. In his mind he may have seen Parker as not having the right to disregard his
opinions as he has no experience of his own. His answers may also be imposing.

Participant number 2 perceived parker to be a very intelligent person with a good

understanding of business organizations. The participant questions why his opinions would
matter to parker implying that they do not understand the importance of their opinions.
This inferiority they feel may also cause the participant to overthink all their answers and
there might be an effect of social desirability as the ‘junior’ may want to appear smart and
reasonable to Parker.

Participant number 3 saw Parker as someone to confide him. He was seen as easy to talk to
as well as trustworthy. This means this participants answers are likely to be very honest and
therefore highly valid. She is also more likely to give answers that are rich in detail
compared to other two.

2.How might Parkers age, gender and dress affect the participants responses?

Parkers age, gender and dress affects the participants responses in relation to their age,
gender and dress. The participants will use these to measure Parker and form a basic idea
about him based on their previous knowledge and stereotypes known about the particular
age, gender, dress. Participants may also use this information to give parker a status either
above them, below them or equal to them which will affect their conversational style with
Parker. For example, the first participants understanding of the age difference between
them may have led him to simplify his ideas to a way he thinks Parker would understand. His
attitude may also be different because of this.

Page 90

1.Explain one reason why unstructured interviews are more appropriate than structured
interviews for investigating women’s subjective experience of motherhood.

The experience of motherhood can be very subjective, the emotions felt, the difficulties
faced and the parenting style are all unique to each mother and so is their experience of
motherhood. To understand these varying experiences researchers need extensive
qualitative data as they cannot assume to know the experiences each mother went through.
Therefore a generalization of the experience of motherhood will be difficult to make; this
being the case it also becomes difficult for researchers to come up with questions that
would generalize to all the participants and provide them the data they were looking for.
Therefore the format of a structured interview would not be ideal for a study investigating
such a topic. In contrast, unstructured interviews, with the more relaxed and flexible
atmosphere it creates, not only provides more room for the researcher to build rapport with
the interviewee but also allows the interviewee to take control of the direction of the
conversation. This allows them to take the researcher through their subjective experience of
motherhood which may lead to conversations that the researchers themselves would not
have been able to think up.
2. Write brief notes to summarize the strengths and limitations of unstructured
interviews.

Strengths

- Allows researcher to build rapport with participants.

-This can lead to the participants feeling more comfortable to disclose information
-This is also useful for when the topics being discussed are sensitive topics for the
participant

- Allows participants to lead the direction of the conversation which may result in
important findings
- Allows Interviewer to develop and build on the ideas and opinions put forward by
the interview.
- Ideal for uncovering the meanings and definitions participants give to the topic being
discussed
- Gives rich in-depth data

Limitations

- The interview may develop in many different directions which were not originally
intended and may be far off topic.
- Harder to generalize findings
- Harder to analyze and compare data collected
- Compared to other methods takes up more time
- The social and psychological characteristics of the interviewer can affect their
understanding and analysis of the data as well as the participants responsiveness to
them.

Page 91

Activity 1

1.Would you prefer to participate in a focus group or in an one-to one interview? Or

would you rather not participate in either? What factors would influence your decision?

I would personally prefer to participate in a focus group rather than an one on one
interview. Factors that would affect my decision would be the topic of the interview, for
example if it is a topic that I find sensitive, the size of the group, the relevance I see in the
study and my own situation at the time of the focus group/ interview. For example, I may be
too busy or not in a mindset to attend an extended discussion with a group of strangers.
However, I believe, that I would be more comfortable in a group and therefore more likely
to both open up about my opinions and be confident in my views as there are people who
contribute their own ideas rather than intently listening to what I say.

2. Assess the view that the similarities of the focus group members help them to disclose
sensitive and personal feelings.

Whether or not the similarities of the focus group members help participants to disclose
sensitive and personal feelings depends of the participant themselves. On one hand,
participants may feel more comfortable and at ease. They will worry little about being
judged by the other members as they believe them to understand their viewpoints and
where they are coming from more than most people do. This can definitely lead to more
honest discussion and the disclosing of sensitive and personal feelings as the participants
feel a deep emotional bond an understanding between each other.

However, there are those who may not be comfortable with sharing similarities with the
other members. For these types of participants, focus groups with very similar participants
may have the opposite effect. They may be very secretive and share very little f their own
ideas and experiences. For example, if they have a fear of growing close to people; if they
are very introverted; If they are generally a closed book or if they value the image project
outwards and do not appreciate such a situation that would force them to face
vulnerabilities and open up to others about their struggle.

Activity 2

1.Explain one difference between focus groups and group interviews.

In group interviews the researcher leads the interview. The interviewer usually comes with
the decided questions and ask each of the participants who then will take turns in answering
the same question. In contrast focus groups are more of a discussion. Rather than focusing
on the answers the participants provide for the questions asked by the interviewer, the
researcher is interested in how the groups interacts and how ideas are exchanged and
developed. Therefore in group interviews the researchers takes a step back and is less active
in the process. They become more of an observer than an interviewer with the main
purpose being to make sure that the group does not go far off topic in their discussion.

2. Explain one reason why a researcher might choose to use focus groups rather than
group interviews as a research method.

The main disadvantage of conducting a group interview in the place of a focus group would
be that there is less area to develop the participants’ ideas as the interviewer has to go
through all the participants equally. In contrast, the data collected from focus groups can be
richer, more detailed and give more insight into the groups and individuals thought process.
A further advantage researchers may see in conducting focus groups is that the presence of
other participants will result in debates and challenges to particular viewpoints. Engaging in
such discussion means that the opinions put forward by the participants are more likely to
be true to themselves and they are more likely to be confident in their answers as well.
Lastly focus groups allow researchers to focus on one particular topic and discuss and study
it in depth, allowing them to observe how the ideas are presented, unraveled and
developed within the group. These features of a focus groups means that data collected by
them tends to be high validity, adding another reason to why researchers may opt for focus
groups over group interviews.

Page 92

In each case above, explain how the moderator might respond to the participant
(verbal/non-verbal communication)

Case 1 (Dominates conversation)

After the speaker is done the moderator may suggest the group to listen to other views.
They may also encourage the other members to give their opinion of the dominant speakers
view. If the dominant speaker interrupts another speakers turn , the moderator may hold up
a hand in sign to let them know that they want to listen to what the current speaker has to
say first.

Case 2 (Self-appointed Expert)

The moderator may remind the individual the purpose of the focus group, such as
reminding them the researches’ need for multiple points of view both from ‘experts’ and
not.

Case 3 (Bored and restless)

The researcher could lightly tap them on the shoulder in request to stay alert.
They may offer the participant as drink or refreshments.
The researcher may also call a quick break to the discussion.

Case 4 (Shy and quiet)

The moderator may help this participant hold the floor. For example if they notice that they
have something to contribute, the moderator may directly ask the participants and
encourage others to listen to what he has to say. Alternatively the moderator may speak to
them individually in a lower tone and encourage them, letting them know the importance of
their opinion. They may also stay beside this participant so that they feel more comfortable
and can let the moderator now when they have something to share, the moderator can
then find room for them to share their ideas.

Page 93

Suggest reasons why the gang members initially rejected Venkatesh.

An outside member to their gang was likely to be treated with hostility. They did not see
him as one of them at first and therefore did not fully trust him. They may also have felt that
he would not understand them and be critical of them and their way of life. This may be
some reasons why Venkatesh was initially rejected by the gang members. Other reasons
may be because they perceived Venkatesh as harboring ill intentions, for example one
member thought him to be from a rival Mexican gang. This means that he was also seen as a
potential threat by the gang members who in turn responded with outright hostility and
rejection as a protection for themselves.

Page 95

Activity 1

What problems for Whyte’s research are indicated in the picture?

The first problem shown in the picture is that of validity. The presence of Whyte changed
the way in which Doc manages the gang and carries out activities. Doc explained that unlike
before Whyte came, he now had to re-think every decision he was going to make and
whether or not Whyte would want to observe particular activities. The change in the way
Doc leads the gang and the slight shift in attitude because of Whyte presence means that
the behavior Whyte is observing is not their normal behavior in that context. This affects the
validity of the study.

Another problem shown indicated in the picture is a problem of objectivity arising from
Whyte Personal involvement in the observation. This can affect the objectivity of his
observations, which gradually lose a sociologists perspective, and so affect the validity of the
results. Whyte says in the picture “now I am almost a non- observing participant” showing
that the group has slowly becoming a part of his identity as well. This becomes a problem
for the study as he will no longer be able to give an account unbiased by the groups effect
on him.

Activity 2

Explain one strength of covert participant observation

In covert participant observation, the participants are unaware of the researcher and their
observation. This is also usually conducted in the participants natural environment for the
behavior being studied. This means that the observer effect and the Hawthorne effect are
unlikely to affect the study. Therefore covert participant observations tend to have very high
ecological validity.