The Challenges of In-Depth Interviewing with Disadvantaged Respondents

Text Exploration

In this text, the author shares their experiences working with disadvantaged participants, offering practical tips on what a researcher will likely encounter and how to work with the unique situations that may occur.

The author describes that the groups that are often most interesting to social scientists are those that are hardest to get to. Their own research focused on care, and the researcher worked with participants in an impoverished area in Lehigh Valley. One participant of note asked what the questions being asked were really for, and the author indicates that establishing trust is the most important way of avoiding concerns like this.

In research, the researcher is in control, and that form of authority is at odds with how disadvantages populations have likely engaged with control figures and structures in the past. The idea of academic research itself is unclear to many people, and the idea of “research” indicates that someone may be being investigated for doing something wrong (as in a crime television show). People in these communities often have a difficult relationship with authority, generally. To overcome this, the author suggests finding some commonality with the participants.

There are logistical challenges with engaging with disadvantaged populations. They may show up late, forget an interview, or miss an interview with more frequency than other populations. The author attributed this in their own research to opportunities for participants to gain extra shifts at work, having transportation problems, and experiencing issues with child care. An interviewer should be ready to be flexible and adaptive.

Sometimes, an interview will cover sensitive topics. The author recommends offering some form of self-deprecating confession, to help people feel at ease. Another strategy is to recognize and comment on something that is not related to the interview, such as a picture in a house, as a way of looking “more human.”

Ultimately, the author recommends that researchers should “expect the unexpected” and keep in mind their own position of power.