RAPPORT

IN
INTERVIEWING

RAPPORT

The relationship between interviewer and interviewee

Is essential for a good qualitative interview
Has to be nurtured by the interviewer throughout
the interview

EMPATHY IN OPEN INTERVIEWS

Logic-in-use in qualitative interviews
Einfhlen
Feeling or showing empathy?
Showing empathy leads to better interviews,
because the interviewees feel appreciated and
therefore talk freely.

WARM INTERVIEWING STYLE

That must have

been hard. How
did you do it?

TWO TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR IN INTERVIEWS

PERSON
ORIENTED

TASK
ORIENTED

GOOD RAPPORT ! GOOD INTERVIEW

?
no

GOOD RAPPORT...
Often the neophyte thinks he has conducted an
excellent interview because rapport was perfect
and the respondent was completely at ease,
talked spontaneously, and commented that she
had enjoyed the interview.
Yet when the interview is analyzed for the amount
and clarity of relevant data, it is found to be
incomplete, superficial and ambiguous.
(Gorden, 1969, p. 69)

TWO TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR IN INTERVIEWS

PERSON
ORIENTED

TASK
ORIENTED

TWO TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR IN INTERVIEWS

PERSON
ORIENTED

TASK
ORIENTED

TASK AND PERSON ORIENTATION

Ethnographic interviewing involves
two distinct, but complementary
processes developing rapport and
eliciting information.
Rapport encourages informants to
talk about their culture.
Eliciting information fosters the
development of rapport
(Spradley, 1979, p. 78)

POWER GAME OR
ROLEPLAYING

INTERVIEW AS POWER GAME

Feminist contribution to interviewing
Ann Oakley (1981) critique against:
Objectification
Capturing people in "neutral" research
The use of respondents
Therefore focus on non-hierarchical relationship in
interviews ! power sharing, reciprocity

INTERVIEW AS POWER GAME

Oakleys critique was tremendously influential in
interviewing literature

Strong focus on
Rapport, trust and reciprocity
Examination of the interview:
difference between topic and method

POWER GAME OR POWER DANCE?

The interviewer as expert
Determines the topic of
conversation
Asks the questions
Assesses the answers
Probes and prompts
Finishes the conversation

POWER DANCE!
The interviewee as expert
On own expert opinion
Information Giver
What
Why
How
How much
How specific

POWER DANCE!

POWER DANCE VERSUS ROLE PLAYING

Interview as role playing game
World as a Stage:
Dramaturgical vision of the interview
Role of teacher
Role of researcher

Role of the nice interviewer

Role of the student

Role of the critical interviewer

Play the

naive outsider ,
an expert on the
questions, but
absolutely not on
the content of the
answers.