Interview Assignment and Paper
1) Interview a woman who is of grandparent age. For traditional age students in the course this means that you will need to interview a woman who is 58 years of age or older. For non-traditional age students in the course this means that you will need to interview a woman who is grandparent age which will be determined by your own age. You will explore the following topics with her:
o What was she raised to believe about 1) marriage, 2) family, and 3) children? (Include all 3)
Marriage:
1. Did you plan to marry? At what age?
2. Did you feel you were expected to marry (social or family pressure)?
3. Did you know anyone who remained unmarried or un-partnered for their life time? What are your thoughts on those who choose to remain single? Has this changed over time?
4. Did you know anyone who cohabited or divorced? What are your thoughts about those who cohabit or divorce? Has this changed over time?
5. Did you think you would work as well as raise a family? (Traditional nuclear family model is a mother who care takes and father who earns living)
6. In your community, was it common for both mothers and fathers to have employment outside the home?
7. If you work or worked outside of the home, how do you feel about it?
8. Do you or did you like the work?
9. How do you or did you handle the combined roles of career woman, mother, and spouse/partner?
10. If you had or have children and worked outside of the home, how do you feel that has affected your children?
11. (If she is or was married) did you and your spouse talk about how to balance work and family matters such as childcare, discipline, housework, paid labor before you married?
Family
1. Who do you consider family? Why are they included?
2. Has your definition of family changed over time?
Children
1. Did you plan to have children? At what age?
2. Did you and your spouse/partner talk about how many children you wanted to have before you had your children?
3. Did you and your spouse/partner talk about using specific discipline techniques to raise children?
4. Did you and your spouse/partner talk about how you were going to raise and care for children in general (i.e. values you wanted the children to have, who would help with homework, etc.)
5. What is the best part of being a parent?
6. What is the toughest part about being a parent?
7. If you and your spouse/partner do not have children, how have family, friends, and/or society in general reacted? Were you questioned why you did not have children? How were you made to feel by not having children?
Feel free to come up with your own questions as they relate to the topics of marriage, family, and children.
After interviewing this woman, you will submit a paper in which you do the following:
o As this is a paper there should be an introduction, body, and conclusion consisting of well thought out and well developed paragraphs
o Compare and contrast your interviewee's comments on marriage, family and children with your own beliefs/thoughts.
o Connect what you discussed in your interview and your own personal thoughts to the course readings (textbook chapter 4 & 7-Women's lives: Multicultural perspectives 6th edition by Gwyn Kirk -cite the readings according to APA format).
o Analyze what the generational differences (and similarities) between you and your interviewee show about how society has (or hasn't) changed regarding its expectations of women.