Description
For this assignment, you are required to conduct an interview. You are required to interview someone that is in your field, which for this assignment is sociology. I will provide the rest of the directions below including the questions to write down for the interview. You will see in the directions it states to record an interview, you don’t have to actually do that just create an interview report in 600 words to make it sound as if you did. You can give the person a name, age and occupation. Just make sure to state that they are from San Diego, California.
Academic Interview: Interview someone in your field / major / department on campus, such as a professor, an academic advisor, or grad student. The goal is to learn more about current events, authors, sources, your major.
Assignment parameters:
Recommended format is in-person. Phone call, Zoom or similar video chat, are also acceptable.
Length should be 15-20 minutes. (Asking the interviewee for “~10 minutes of their time” might work, if you feel they are busy.)
Prepare about 10 open-ended questions for the interviewee. NOTE: Getting to only 4-5 of them is fine, and probably means you chose good questions, if the answers they elicit are substantial. An interviewee’s responses may lead to other unplanned questions and exchanges, that is usually a good thing! Having more prepared more questions than you get to is just good preparation, and will help you feel more confident and comfortable.
NOTE: Record your interview (audio, using your phone) after asking permission, to ensure you quote the person accurately when writing this Report document later.
Written Report should be >600 words. Lead report with an Introduction of the person, brief bio about who they are, their job(s), their research interests, location, etc. State your interview format (in-person, phone, etc.). Report body should be paragraphs, with optional bullet points containing complete-sentences notesunder each bullet, or similar. Include at least 3 direct quotations, and a few paraphrases in your own words. End report with ~100 words as a summary/brainstorm about what interested you most, and why. List a few source names, research areas, and keywords you plan to look into, that you learned from the interviewee.
Practice MLA Citation by modifying this listing at the top or bottom of your document: Lastname, Firstname. Personal interview. Date. Also, not part of MLA but recommended to include after: Place (if in-person), and Format (phone, in-person, Zoom, etc.
Interview Questions:
What initially attracted you to the field of sociology?
Are there any emerging trends or developments in sociology that you find interesting or exciting?
What was an experience or class you took that you found beneficial?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of being in sociology?
What advice would you give to someone who is considering entering the field of sociology?
Feel free to add any questions if you would like.
