John Benjamins Publishing Company
Chapter 5. “What does it mean?”
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Rebecca Ann Smith
Abstract
Social, cultural, and institutional norms invoked by adults in school settings often limit children’s voices in educational research. This chapter re-examines interview data, focusing on methodologies used to address the challenges associated with interviewing children. For this analysis, three challenges have been identified from transcripts: limiting the child/adult binary, analyzing children’s language, and overcoming children’s inexperience with interviewing. To address these challenges, this chapter focuses on methodological strategies used in an ethnographically inspired research study. These strategies included framing children’s positions through the reconceptualized model of childhood, using open or emergent listening (Davies 2011, 2014) during interviews, and reactive entry methods (Corsaro 1985, 2003). The analysis of the children’s language is expanded to include the bodily ways or multimodal forms of communication and the closer examination of the children’s abilities to participate in multiple conversations during interviews. Excerpts from interviews initially perceived to have “failed” are examined to understand how children’s inexperience with interviewing can be misinterpreted as unpredictable. Finally, interviews are interpreted as pedagogical encounters in which children are taught cultural and social norms.
Abstract
Social, cultural, and institutional norms invoked by adults in school settings often limit children’s voices in educational research. This chapter re-examines interview data, focusing on methodologies used to address the challenges associated with interviewing children. For this analysis, three challenges have been identified from transcripts: limiting the child/adult binary, analyzing children’s language, and overcoming children’s inexperience with interviewing. To address these challenges, this chapter focuses on methodological strategies used in an ethnographically inspired research study. These strategies included framing children’s positions through the reconceptualized model of childhood, using open or emergent listening (Davies 2011, 2014) during interviews, and reactive entry methods (Corsaro 1985, 2003). The analysis of the children’s language is expanded to include the bodily ways or multimodal forms of communication and the closer examination of the children’s abilities to participate in multiple conversations during interviews. Excerpts from interviews initially perceived to have “failed” are examined to understand how children’s inexperience with interviewing can be misinterpreted as unpredictable. Finally, interviews are interpreted as pedagogical encounters in which children are taught cultural and social norms.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Contributors xi
- Transcription conventions xv
- Preface xvii
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Part I. Introduction
- Chapter 1. Introduction 3
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Part II. Exploring the interactional details of interviewer-interviewee identities and knowledge production in research interviews
- Introduction to Part II. Exploring the interactional details of interviewer-interviewee identities and knowledge production in research interviews 31
- Chapter 2. “Like us you mean?” 37
- Chapter 3. Research interviewers as ‘knowers’ and ‘unknowers’ 59
- Chapter 4. On doing ‘being feminist’ and ‘being researcher’ 79
- Chapter 5. “What does it mean?” 103
- Chapter 6. Epistemic shifts 125
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Part III. Exploring conversational resources and social actions produced in interviews
- Introduction to Part III. Exploring conversational resources and social actions produced in interviews 143
- Chapter 7. “That’s a stupid question!” 147
- Chapter 8. “But you’re gonna ask me questions, right?” 181
- Chapter 9. “It doesn’t make sense, but it actually does” 201
- Chapter 10. Continuers in research interviews 219
- Chapter 11. Discourse strategies of mitigation in an oral corpus of narratives of life experience collected in interviews 239
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Part IV. Summing up
- Chapter 12. The way(s) of interviewing 271
- References 283
- Author index 319
- Subject index 325
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Contributors xi
- Transcription conventions xv
- Preface xvii
-
Part I. Introduction
- Chapter 1. Introduction 3
-
Part II. Exploring the interactional details of interviewer-interviewee identities and knowledge production in research interviews
- Introduction to Part II. Exploring the interactional details of interviewer-interviewee identities and knowledge production in research interviews 31
- Chapter 2. “Like us you mean?” 37
- Chapter 3. Research interviewers as ‘knowers’ and ‘unknowers’ 59
- Chapter 4. On doing ‘being feminist’ and ‘being researcher’ 79
- Chapter 5. “What does it mean?” 103
- Chapter 6. Epistemic shifts 125
-
Part III. Exploring conversational resources and social actions produced in interviews
- Introduction to Part III. Exploring conversational resources and social actions produced in interviews 143
- Chapter 7. “That’s a stupid question!” 147
- Chapter 8. “But you’re gonna ask me questions, right?” 181
- Chapter 9. “It doesn’t make sense, but it actually does” 201
- Chapter 10. Continuers in research interviews 219
- Chapter 11. Discourse strategies of mitigation in an oral corpus of narratives of life experience collected in interviews 239
-
Part IV. Summing up
- Chapter 12. The way(s) of interviewing 271
- References 283
- Author index 319
- Subject index 325
