Identify the person you chose to interview. The person needs to be born in 1965 or earlier and have grown up in the United States. Provide their first name only, age or generation, and their role in your life/community (leader, family member, friend, etc).
Interview: you will complete a “qualitative” interview. This means the interview is not a structured questionnaire, but rather beginning with broad questions and then asking follow-up questions, depending on what you are hearing. You will interview the person about their memories during the decade of their youth (when they would be old enough to remember events, probably around age 9 or 10 or older, but no older than their early 20’s).
Some areas to explore: the impact of social, civil or political issues of that time and their impact on the individual’s family. Clarify the person’s level of interaction with people of different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, or spiritual beliefs. Explore the gender roles and duties in their family? Did they experience differences with socioeconomic status as a result of the changing social issues?
Interview Paper (17 points): For this portion of the assignment you are expected to summarize the interview, provide an overview of their experience as a youth growing up in the United States, and discuss their views of today’s society. This paper is a summary of the interviewee’s experience. You do not need to include the questions from the interview. The total length of this paper should be no more than four pages (excluding title page).
Your paper should be organized using the following subheadings:
First section, very brief, should give identifying information about the interviewee including: age, what city/state they grew up in, their ethnicity, gender, relationship to you, if any. Name is not required.
Second section (subheading) should provide a summary of information from the interview about the interviewee’s memories of life during the decade that was focused on. What was memorable for them? What was absent from their experience?
Third section (subheading) will describe any changes the interviewee talks about from the decade discussed in comparison to society today. What are the biggest changes they see for youth today?
Last section (subheading) your observations of the interviewee’s experience discussing social, political, civil issues. Did they discuss people of other cultures or ethnicities? Did they avoid any topics or questions? Did they discuss their view of social welfare? Did they discuss gender roles in their family? Did they experience any socioeconomic changes? Were there topics that you avoided? Were there topics that surprised you? Explain why.
