Discuss the connections you made to theory and engaging in theory-mindedness; and

Topic:

Major Assignment 1: Theory-Informed Interview and Reflection

Paper details:

 

Assignment:

To complete this assignment, you will conduct a theory-informed, one-hour interview of an individual age 50+ and complete a reflection on the process as a whole. Ideally, you want to interview someone whom you do not know well (though you can choose a family member if unable to identify another person to interview). This can be very beneficial to both the person sharing and for you in numerous ways.

You will want to obtain permission to share what you learn in our discussion (omitting identifying information). You may also request permission to record the interview, although recording is not required.

Prior to conducting the interview, identify and select at least three theories to be used to develop the open-ended interview questions the wider the variety, the better.

You should rely on your text and additional class readings and materials to inform the open-ended questions that you develop.

After you have developed your questions, submit a draft including 12 theory-informed, open-ended questions to your instructor to be reviewed and revised.

After your questions have been reviewed and revised, use your questions to interview and learn about the interviewee’s life in what we might call an “oral history.”

Note: The interview guide is just that—it serves as a guide and not a script.

Treat the interview as a conversation, however, and use additional follow-up questions, probes, etc. to gain detailed information from your interviewee.

Post-Interview Steps

After completing the interview, submit a 3- to 5-page reflection that will include:

a. the final list of interview questions, identifying the theory each question was derived from;

b. a summary of what was learned about the interviewee;

c. connections you made to theory and engaging in theory-mindedness; and

d. a reflection on the experience itself (e.g., why the specific theories were selected, what it was like to gather information based on theory, what you might do differently if you could do the interview again).

 

Last Completed Projects