| Family History | Peer History | N'hood History | Educ'l History | Recreation | Religion | Politics | Occupation | What makes a community? |
| Objectives |
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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)
| Objectives |
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• understand cultural (values, preferences, aesthetics) norms of individual • identify roles and relative importance of different social institutions |
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.
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?
| Objectives |
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• 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 |
When did you live in [move to]
this area? What was your address? Chronology of addresses.
Why did you move there [here]? 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 would you describe 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; hangoutsHow would you describe the appearance of your neighborhood?
How has your neighborhood changed/stayed the same since you lived there? How had it changed before you arrived?
Does the issue of crime, or safety, or personal security, ever figure into your self-perception 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?
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?
(for current residents): Have you lived
elsewhere in this neighborhood? How long do you plan to stay? why?
| Objectives |
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• identify individual's sense of area's connections to metro area • connect individual's areal concerns to metro issues • get sense of interaction between area and the metro region • get sense of exoteric perceptions: outsider views of other areas |
In terms of St. Louis' history,
what are the three most important events? why?
What is most important to you about St. Louis, personally? why? The least? why?
What parts of the St. Louis area do you know the best? The least? Why?
When you tell people your address, do you tell them you live in St. Louis, or do you say you live in [this particular area]?
What other areas are most like your own neighborhood? Why? Least? Why?
Where would you get lost? Are there places you would not go? Why?
Where have you felt out-of-place, or conspicuous? Why?
What roads, highways, bus routes in the area do you know the best? Why?
How do you travel to work? Do you always go the same route?
Do you feel different driving your car than using some other transportation? How?
Are there places outside your neighborhood you have to go to because you don't have them inside your neighborhood? Church? Shopping? Recreation? Sports? Entertainment?
What places do you go to routinely in a typical week? With whom?
Where do you go for special occasions? what restaurants to celebrate something? what sports events? what places to hear music? where to relax? where do you take children for fun? what movie theaters? cultural events or sites? church?
If guests come from out of town, where do you take them to show off the area? Why?
Where would you most like to live in the St. Louis area? why? Away from St. Louis? why?
How has the St. Louis area changed in your lifetime? Have you had a part in causing any changes? how? why?
How do you see St. Louis changing over the next few years? decades?
Who historically have been the most important people in shaping St. Louis? in your lifetime?
Do you think St. Louis has become a better or worse place to live during your lifetime? Why?
| Name | Address | Phone |