General Feedback: Biography Project Initial Interview Questions

HONORS U.S. HISTORY

GUIDELINES: BIOGRAPHY INITIAL INTERVIEW

PREPARE 25-30 QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE.

Use APAN & other historical resources to create some of the questions. Review topics on the Biography assignment handout as well. Organize the questions in a logical order.

Caveats & Suggestions:

- Be prepared to drop, change, add questions – to “think on your feet” during the interview.

- Ask open-ended questions - "Did you support the war in Viet Nam?" requires only a "yes or no" response. "How did you feel about ______?" or "What did most people think about ______?" are examples of questions that lead an interview subject into rewarding territory.

- Avoid questions that encourage a sympathetic answer - Try not to "infect" an interview subject with your expectations. "So, was FDR a hero in your neighborhood?" asks the subject to agree or disagree. A better strategy is to allow your subject to freely recall an event or idea. "How did people feel about FDR in your neighborhood?"

- Prepare follow-up questions - Think of your questions as coming in groups. Try to predict how one question might flow into another. What points might you want especially to clarify? Think of the HOW or WHY questions that might follow your initial recall prompts.

- Have a range of topics to discuss that enables you to explore his/her personal story as well as how his/her life fits into the context of U.S. history. Personal could include: childhood, family, school, leisure/hobbies, adult family, career, places he/she has lived, etc. Keep in mind that you will not be telling their complete life story, but rather focusing primarily on a specific aspect of your subject’s life – one that works well with a broader historical topic in U.S. history that you will research.

- Be flexible and sensitive about topics; do your best to ‘read’ your subject’s comfort level. For example, sexism would be an interesting topic and worth exploring, but at first introduction you might ask more generally about gender, or views on opportunities/roles for women & men.

- Avoid assumptions in your questions: aim to be as open ended/objective as possible. For example, stating the obvious as you live in Massachusetts: do not assume “married” = heterosexual couples, unless you have prior knowledge (e.g., might use spouse, partner) and of course not all long-term relationships = legal marriage. Similarly, be careful of questions that assume age, unless you know it (e.g., do not ask how life was in the 1920s to find out he/she was too young to remember or was not born yet!). Suggestions: ask in what time period he/she grew up, or what is his/her earliest memory of a major event in U.S. history. - Sampling of effective open-ended questions:

What significant news stories do you remember from when you were young? Who is the first president you recall and what did you think of him? Who is a public figure you admire and why? Can you discuss a significant accomplishment in your life? What influences most affected your life? What issues do you care most about/get involved with/ etc. Has politics been an important interest and why? What changes in U.S. culture do you most admire? regret? What changes in U.S. society do you most admire? regret? What changes in U.S. politics do you most admire? regret? Can you discuss your strongest memories of the civil rights movement, of Vietnam, etc. In what ways do you think ideas/discussions/actions related to race/class/gender in the U.S. have changed in your lifetime?

SCHEDULE & PREPARE FOR INITIAL INTERVIEW.

• Call well in advance of the due date; be flexible in scheduling.

• Arrange to meet the subject somewhere where you can talk quietly without distractions.

• Provide an estimate of time needed: 1.5-2 hours; do not appear rushed: this is a favor & a life.

• Share the purpose of the project with your subject, including your goals to explore his/her life as well as discuss their views of the larger context of the U.S. during his or her lifetime.

• Be sure it is clear that questions/topics can be skipped based on his/her comfort level (e.g., religion, hardships, relationships/family, politics, values, money, etc.). But if he/she answers willingly/happily, but briefly – have follow up questions at the ready to go farther.

•Come prepared with all necessary materials and anticipate problems. If you are planning to record the interview (ask permission first), be sure to have spare batteries and tapes. Bring a notebook to jot down questions, ideas or phrases as you talk - even if you're not attempting to take notes on the responses themselves.

• Review/skim APAN chapters we have not yet read – you need to have a general handle on more recent U.S. history; be familiar with key events/aspects of 20th century U.S. (e.g., write a chronology by decade of major events/issues). Dazzle your subject with your grasp of history, in a modest and unassuming way of course. (But also, he/she knows you are mere babes in the woods, so ask him/her for more explanation.)

• Closure & Follow-up: Be sure to let her/him know you will likely have follow-up questions as you continue with your research. Consider asking if she/he has any primary source material that would be relevant to your project. Remember to write a thank you note after the interview(s).

SMILE! 