Interview Guide for Pilot Project:

Anthro 291/Honors college 353: Oral History of the City

Broad Topics to Discuss: With Focus throughout on CHANGE and COMMUNITY FORMATION TOPICS

Family History

Peer History

N'hood History

Educ'l History

Recreation

Religion

Politics

Occupation

What makes a community?

1. General Biographical Information [very brief]:

Objectives

• gather basic background information • put individual at ease answering easy questions

• if using the Biographical form, there is no need to cover this section as well; go on to Section 2

Birth date; birthplace

Father's name; mother's maiden name; siblings

Birthplace/date: father; mother; siblings

Father's work; mother's work: type of work, dates of work, places of work

Narrator's education: schools and dates

Marriage (spouse[s]; date[s]; place[s])

Children (names; birth dates/places; present location)

2. Social and Cultural Information

Objectives

• understand social (family, group) norms of individual

• understand cultural (values, preferences, aesthetics) norms of individual

• identify roles and relative importance of different social institutions

Family Life growing up

Describe your family life when you were growing up (roles/chores/special memories/relationships/values). How has it changed/stayed the same over the years? Continuities into present family life. For example:

roles and chores through the different stages of growing up
games played
how they got along with siblings
what the family dinner was like
favorite meals
family vacations
most cherished holidays; most hated holidays; what the holidays were like
favorite memory of father/mother/sibling(s)
have them describe a typical day in the summer when they were 5/10/15; a typical day in the fall or winter

Who were your friends in your neighborhood? What did you do together?

When you were growing up, where were you allowed to go as a safe place? where were you not allowed to go to? why?

Family Life now

Describe your current family interactions: who do you do things with? what do you do with them? who don't you do things with? why? what occasions brings family together? do you make a special effort to be with family? or not to be with family? do you have family reunions? describe.

Where do most of your friends/relatives live? When do you see one another? How did you get to know your closest friends?

Who are your friends in your neighborhood? What do you do together?

Have you ever been involved in social causes, neighborhood activities, school activities, civic issues, church affairs, clubs or associations, etc. If so, how? why? when? If not, why not? have friends or family been involved?

Other Social Life, then and now

Religious affiliation/history.

Educational history. Role/influence of peer groups in secondary school and beyond.

Personal job history, from childhood.

Vision/Hope for the Future

What would describe the kind of world you would like to see your child/grandchild to have?

3. Relation to their neighborhood

Objectives

• relate all of #2 (social & cultural roles, norms) specifically to the neighborhood

• identify individual's specific perception of the physical neighborhood

• identify individual's sense of involvement in the neighborhood

• identify individual's specific usage of the neighborhood

• identify individual's sense of change/continuity of n'hood; feelings about them

What are the boundaries of your neighborhood? (Maps again)

How do you determine these boundaries?

Do you think in terms of parish boundaries? school districts? electoral districts? any other?

How would you subdivide your particular area into regions?

Possible factors: shopping; circle of friends; school; circle of family; church; entertainment; job; children's activities; hangouts; area you walk/bike in

Describe the appearance of your neighborhood.

When did you live in [move to] this area? What was your address? Chronology of addresses.

Why did you move there? Where did you move from? Who was with you when you moved? Does any family live in the neighborhood? Was any here before you moved here?

Describe your house (apartment). (Do maps of various dwellings)

How has your neighborhood changed/stayed the same since you lived there? How had it changed before you arrived?

Who created the changes? how? why? How do you feel about the changes? What do you see as the main characteristic(s) of your neighborhood?

What are the significant physical features of your neighborhood? What buildings are significant? what parks? yards? shops? roads/alleys? restaurants? Why?

What kinds of people live(d) in your neighborhood? (ethnic/occupation/religion/socio-economic level/predominant age groups); at what times? when did differences begin?

What kinds of things do (did) you do with your neighbors? why? Roles? Are you close friends with your neighbors?

What do (did) you do within the boundaries of your neighborhood? How did your activities change over the years you (have) lived there? why?

What do you like best about your neighborhood? Least?

How does the issue of crime, or safety, or personal security, ever figure into your self-perception of your neighborhood?

Can you have an impact on what is good or bad about the neighborhood? how?

What conceptions/misconceptions do other people have about your neighborhood?

What's their basis for these impressions? How do you know this about them? Have you lived elsewhere in this neighborhood? How long do you plan to stay? why?

Are there any topics I missed you would like to talk about?

created 10/02/2000
last revised: 10/02/2000