Interviewing and the importance of listening

Originally posted at www.21stcenturyscholar.org

Have you ever read a Henry James novel? I have, as an undergraduate in an American lit class. I, along with 20 or so of my peers, read Portrait of a Lady. James—the brother of psychologist William James—is known for long, descriptive passages and a focus on the minutiae of life and consciousness. You can imagine, for a group of 20-year-olds with the attention spans of hummingbirds, the novel was a tough sell.

In one class, during a discussion of the book, the professor said something I think about often: “We should all have the ability,” he argued, “to sit quietly on a bench and observe.” How much do we miss, he wondered, when we live a life of constant motion?

Be still. Watch. Listen. Contemplate. 

In a well-known article, “On Seeking—and Rejecting—Validity in Qualitative Research,” Henry Wolcott makes a similar point about interviewing: “Talk little, listen a lot.”

As a qualitative researcher, I have the unbelievable privilege of listening to people’s life stories. A few weeks ago, I met with a second-generation Latino teenager who lives in a low-income neighborhood in New York City. He wants to go to college. He will be the first in his family to attend a four-year university. He is an exceptional young man; however, his grades and test scores don’t completely represent that. He worries that he won’t get into a college.

During the interview, we talked about his family. He has an unstable home life, having lived with several relatives. As a follow-up question, I asked, “Is that tough?” He looked at me for a few seconds. His face changed, almost imperceptibly. He had the look of someone who knew, if he spoke, he would cry. I imagined, as a 17-year-old young man, he didn’t want to do that. He nodded. I nodded. And, we both looked away. I paused for about thirty seconds to give us both time to recompose and then redirected the interview.

I don’t know if I could ever truly represent those few thick moments and the moments afterwards when neither of us spoke. I don’t pretend to know what the student felt or thought. In time, I might have a better idea. But, I know for that moment I, at least partially, grasped a depth of emotion and significance that participants do not always reveal.

Life tends to be full of constant motion. Sometimes people want their stories heard, and it’s the researcher’s job to listen.

So you want to be a qualitative researcher in the 21st century

Originally posted at www.21stcenturyscholar.org

A tension exists between old and new. In The Anxiety of Influence, Harold Bloom explains the generational process among writers: Old poets inspire young poets. The apprentice learns to love form by reading the work of a skilled master. The beginner writes derivative verse. Anxiety stirs as she realizes the only way to establish a legacy is to break from tradition. And, that’s the rub.

The charm of Bloom’s theory is that it extends to numerous fields. Consider the myriad movies in which young protagonists ignore the sage advice of their battled-scarred mentors. Characters fail, fail, and fail again. And then, after sweaty and bruised adversity, they triumph. Hello, Karate Kid. Or, think about athletes. Young basketball phenoms like LeBron battle the legacies of legends like Jordan and Magic. Musicians provide yet another example—thankfully, Bird inspired Coltrane. The theory extends to more quotidian examples too. Children clash with parents. Students argue with teachers. The young fight for a trophy, the ability to say, “I did things my own way, a better way.” The trophy, of course, proves elusive.

As qualitative research enters an exciting moment, apprentice and master researchers are reenacting similar clashes in classrooms and research labs across the globe. “The methods are quaint,” the initiate says, “but I think they’re a little dusty. I can do better.” The mentor winces: How many times has she heard similar boasts?

Innovative technologies and digital media are providing new tools and venues. Consider the possibilities of research-based digital media. They can reveal complex processes that contribute to elusive opportunities for low-income students in ways that peer-reviewed articles cannot. Policymakers often grimace at pedantic and esoteric research. A digital short provides fertile ground for conveying the sorts of thick description qualitative researchers seek and also improving the relevance of research for policy stakeholders.

Novel methods are alluring, an opportunity for novice researchers to shape their legacies. But, like the young poet who privately spends thousands of hours mastering rhyme and rhythm or the basketball phenom who quietly practices drills in the gym, the innovative researcher is the product of hours and hours of unheralded work: planning, collecting, analyzing, producing, experimenting, revising, and repeating.

Rigorous designs depend on the ability of a scholar to undergird the process and product with traditional methods, all the while embracing emerging opportunities. A two-minute film excites. It also requires a complex set of skills. The researcher has to be well versed in fundamentals like interviewing and analyzing as well unconventional techniques like filming and editing. She has to understand triangulation and color theory, parallelism and the rule of thirds, NVivo and Final Cut. The challenge is formidable. But, the chance to experience that inventive moment, the next adjacent possibility, is worth the work.

Interviewing for a job and asking the right questions

In my last blog, I discussed finding and applying to faculty positions. Today, I continue to the interview stages of a job search. Typically, the process includes two parts: a phone interview and a campus visit. The campus visit consists of informal and formal meetings with faculty, administrators, and students. The meetings take place in a range of locations including offices, classrooms, restaurants, conference rooms, and even elevator rides and walks from here to there.

We often think of job interviews as one-way interactions; however, each meeting provides an applicant several opportunities to ask questions. In doing so, he or she has the chance to learn about the school and make a positive impression among the faculty. Of course, asking questions is as much about impression management as answering them. Be informed. Search the web prior to the phone interview and then again before the campus visit. What is the mission and vision of the school? What types of degrees does the school or department offer? What are the degree requirements? What does the school’s website highlight? Students? Programs? Faculty research? Who are the faculty members? What are they researching? 

Below, I provide some questions to consider:

Research

•     How does the school support new faculty?
•     What sorts of university grants are available?
•     What are the major foci for tenure?
•     Where do faculty members publish?
•     On what types of projects are faculty members working?
•     What is the vision for the school in the next ten years?
•     Are graduate assistants available for research?

Teaching

•     Do new faculty members receive course reductions?
•     How many classes do faculty members teach?
•     Which classes do new faculty members teach?
•     Are the classes on the main campus, satellite campuses, or online?
•     What are the students like?
•     What sorts of technology do classrooms include?
•     Does the school provide professional development?

Service

•     What service opportunities are available?
•     How many doctoral students do faculty members advise?
•     On what types of committees do faculty members serve?
•     Does the university provide outreach to neighboring communities?

The questions will vary based on what is important to you and also what you know about the university. Each school has its own distinct culture(s). The best advice I can offer is to talk to a range of individuals. Talk to your advisor. Talk to your committee members. Talk to newly minted assistant and associate professors. 

At the end of most interviews, someone will likely ask, “Do you have any questions?” You will be surprised how much you learn about a school during the course of an interview or series of interviews. But, sometimes you don’t know until you know. That’s why one question, above the others, will be useful: “I have heard a lot of great things so far and I do have questions. But, I’m also interested in your perspective. Based on your experiences, what do you think I should ask?”