Interview and Learning Resources
Summary Requirements
In order to complete this assignment, you need to have completed your interview, decided on which Women’s Studies topics your report will cover, and identified supporting material in the learning resources.
See below for information on how to conduct your interview.
You can find a sample Interview and Learning Resources Summary attached to this assignment in the Assignments folder. Please note that the Learning Resources cited in the sample summary may not be part of your WMST 200 classroom. Choose resources assigned in your own section of WMST 200. You can also find the rubric for this assignment in the Assignments folder.
Your Interview and Learning Resources Summary includes the following two sections:
- A one-paragraph summary of your interview experience (40 points).
- introduce your subject in a sentence or two
- briefly discuss how the interview proceeded (you can expand this in your final essay; a couple of sentences are fine here)
- briefly present the major Women’s Studies topics you covered (you do not have to list everything that will appear in the final paper)
- A list of items from the learning resources you have identified which will provide supporting scholarly information for your discussion of the interview (60 points).
Your list should be formatted as a brief Annotated Bibliography in APA Style:
- Include three (3) acceptable items from the learning resources (18 points)
- Provide a brief summary under each item explaining how it will be useful for your essay (30 points).
- Provides the APA style bibliographic citation for each item (12 points).
Conducting the Interview
You can conduct the interview in any medium (in person, on the phone/Skype, via email, etc.). It can also be done in multiple sessions or all at one sitting. You do need some way to record the interview so that you can quote from it. If you conduct it via email, you’ll have a print copy. If you do it in person, take plenty of notes, but also try to make a sound recording if possible so that you can find the exact responses.
You may design your interview questions however you wish, but keep the purpose of the project in mind. Tailor your questions to your specific interview subject and your own interests. You DO NOT have to use the questions below; these are just sample questions covering some of the major topics of the course: the history of the women’s movement, feminism, gender identity, women and work, women and politics, education, body politics (body image and media).
Suggestions for topics and questions:
- How has being female affected your life?
- What do you know about the history of the women’s movement? How do you think it has affected you?
- Do you consider yourself a feminist?
- What do you want your children to learn about women? About gender roles?
- How have your ideas about what it means to be a woman changed as you have gotten older?
- What do you think about the way female celebrities/movie stars/singers are portrayed?
- How did you feel about Hillary Clinton’s presidential run? About the first female four-star general?
- Is it any different being female in the United States than in your (your parents) home country (if you’re interviewing someone from another country)?
- What do you feel are the most important issues for women (or for the women’s movement today)?
- Has being a woman affected your work life or career goals in any way?
- How is the housework/childcare divided in your home? Are you satisfied with this arrangement?
- What do you think about laws protecting women in the workplace and women’s access to education? Do we have too many? Not enough? If you could enact a new law to help women, what would it be?
Tips for the actual interview:
- Most people enjoy being taken seriously as interview subjects “ choose someone you’re genuinely interested in learning more about.
- Explain why you are conducting the interview, and let the person know what to expect. You can even provide some of the questions ahead of time if you’d like to.
- Begin with easy questions that will make both of you comfortable and give you basic background information (name, age, where from, education, etc.).
- Create a list of at least ten questions you’d like to ask that cover a range of topics.
- Be willing to let the conversation take you away from those questions, and then redirect when you have a chance.
- Try to avoid questions that can be answered or instead, ask open-ended questions that require a lengthier response.
- Be sensitive to your subjects reactions to a question; if she really doesn’t want to answer something, move on but, remember the purpose of the project, and be sure to cover the topics that are most important to you.