Structured Interviews

Structured Interviews

1. two types; semi structured - involves both open and closed questions ;focus group - group interview they're more likely to open up and be truthful because there is less intimidation you can also observe their behaivour

2. Practical issues

   • Quick + cheap (longer and more expensive than a questionnaire) as researcher has do one after another
   • (similar to questionnaires)

3. Validity

   • Interpretivists argue that like questionnaires, interviews create a false picture as respondents are restricted to closed-questions, forcing them to pigeon hole themselves

4. Representativesness

   • Response rate;generally high response rate e.g. Young&Willmott, Bethnol green got a 95% response rate. People prefer to say rather than write? (people feel less rude not completing questionnaires) high response means more representative and are better for generalisations

5. Reliability

   • Questions are standardised with a set order and same wording, increasing repeatablilty
   • Inflexibility; fixed to what the researcher sees as important not what the respondants thinks is

6. halo effect; an interview is a social interaction, respondents will give socially desirable answers and say what they think the researcher wants them to

7. Theories; Feminist - questionnaires and interviews are patriarchal that give an invalid picture of womens lives & that the researcher is incontrol mirroring male dominace