All interviews are interaction situations. Both the interviewer and the interviewee come to the situation with a whole set of characteristics.
Discuss in a group each of the following characteristics and explain in what ways each might affect the interview situation – even in a structured interview.
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Social class
- Appearance
- Manner (e.g. quiet/aggressive)
- Existing attitudes/prejudices/opinions
- Vocabulary/knowledge of language
- Previous experiences and education
- Immediate circumstances (e.g. what the interviewee is doing at the time)
