A. The “Interactive Interview”

1. A. The “Interactive Interview”

2. A. The “Interactive Interview” How it differs from the typical Social Survey

3. I. Typical Social Survey • Large number of cases • Cases randomly selected • Large number of interviewers • Interviewers use questionnaire • All interviewers follow same rules

4. I. Typical Social Survey • Read the questions exactly as written • Read the questions in exact order • Do not make judgements about answers • Do not display reactions to answers

5. I. Typical Social Survey • Large number of cases • Cases randomly selected • Large number of interviewers • Interviewers use questionnaire • All interviewers follow same rules • Data are coded; statistically analyzed

6. II. Merits of Social Surveys • Can describe the sampled population. • Can quantify the frequency of events. • Can measure the degree of association between variables. • Can generalize results to population.

7. III. Limitations of Surveys • Quantity takes priority over quality. • Superficial data take priority over in-depth data. • Questionnaire entirely constructs the information obtained. • Respondent offers no information beyond the questionnaire.

8. III. Limitations of Surveys • Respondents do not participate in the construction of information. • Data do not capture the decision process that produce observed outcomes. • Statistical associations do not provide understanding of complex relationships.

9. B. The “Interactive Interview” Principal Characteristics

10. I. Selecting Respondents • Identify relevant social groups. • Identify knowledgeable individuals (key informants). • Carry out interactive interview. • Interview additional key informants within the same social group. • Repeat until information is redundant (no pre-established number of ‘cases’).

11. II. Form of Interactive Interview • More like a ‘directed conversation’ • Interviewer refers to a roster of questions and scenarios. • Questions, scenarios, prompts, and clarifications direct respondent to particular topics of interest. • But the interviewer is not constrained by a predetermined agenda.

12. II. Form of Interactive Interview • Objective is a ‘conversation’ that: • permits the respondent to express complex meanings • assumes that the respondent has a repertoire of relevant knowledge and experiences • treats the respondent as a ‘researcher in his own right’ • allows for surprises, new topics, new directions

13. II. Form of Interactive Interview • provides ‘narrative guidance’ to relevant topics without imposing a priori assumptions • invites informants to talk about their world in terms that derive from the circumstances of their lived experience.

14. III. Content of Interactive Interview

15. III. Content of Interactive Interview • Topical questions • e.g.: What were the reasons you decided to buy cattle? • Response scenarios • e.g.: In what ways would your life change if tomorrow you had ten more head? • Specific quantitative questions • e.g.: How much are buyers paying per kilo?

16. “Status” of the Data

17. “Status” of the Data • Survey approach • Unit of analysis is individual/hsld behavior • Searching for statistical patterns of association across variables • Consider the kind of questions:What is your level of education?What how many hectares have you cleared? • And the kind of analysis: Correlation between education and deforestation.

18. “Status” of the Data • Qualitative approach • Key informant as source of information about “collective knowledge” (of his/her group) • Consider the kind of questions:Why do most people around here purchase cattle?Most pastures are degraded. What do you think accounts for this?