Soc 323
INTERVIEW (or Oral History) ASSIGNMENT
The aim of this interview or oral history assignment is to allow you an opportunity to look at a grandparent (or another elder family member) and apply the concepts of this course. This
assignment will let you see the elder family member from the viewpoint of a social gerontologist. If your relationship with your grandparent is distant (either emotionally or geographically), or
you do not feel comfortable inquiring into his or her past, you may select another family member who is elderly to interview.
Themes
After you conduct your interview or oral history, you will examine what your elderly family member said by looking for themes. A theme is an overarching concept that runs through the
interview or plays a large part in the social situation under study. For instance, in a study of a bureaucracy, the theme of paperwork might arise. Interview(s) might reveal how the quantity and
flow of paperwork plays a very important part in how people conduct their jobs, and lives, at work. Ideally, a theme or concept becomes clear during the data analysis.
In doing this oral history assignment, you will begin with some basic questions. At the same time, though, you should enter the interview process with an open mind. An open mind will allow you
to pursue the topics or themes as they are introduced by your elderly family member.
You are walking a bit of a tightrope. On the one hand, you want to obtain material out of the interview that relates to the course material, yet you don’t want to stifle your elderly family
member’s willingness or ability to talk freely about things that are important to him or her. Yet on the other hand, you don’t want to let the elderly family member ramble on about things that
have nothing to do with aging and family life.
After you’ve completed the interview, you will look for themes. Some subjects or themes covered in the course that may come out of your interviews are:
Family Structure
Is your elderly family member in a traditional family, or is he or she a single parent, or in a blended family, etc.?
Timing of Transitions
What was the timing of their marriage, birth of first and last child, etc.? Was their transition to roles “on-time” or “off-time”? Did the elderly family member ever work outside of the home?
What was the pattern of his or her work?
Mobility
What was the reason for these moves and how did they affect his or her family?
Socio-historical Context
This is the one of the main things you want to do. Rather than simply finding out the details about the elder family member, you need to explain and understand the behavior and structure of
the elder family member in terms of the social forces acting upon him or her. Remember, the elder family member is not an isolated unit, but a product of social forces.
Agency
The elder family member is a product of social forces but he or she also had the ability to create conditions which rose above or accommodated those forces. Are there any instances in which
the elder family member creatively adapted to his or her social circumstances?
My expectation is that you will find and/or pursue 2 to 3 themes and develop them to the maximum extent possible. When writing the paper you may use quotes from the interview to emphasize
the theme.
SOCIOLOGY
INTERVIEW SECTION:
1. What are some of the most important lessons you feel you have learned over the course of your life?
That time is NOT on your side. Time will not stop for you, so don’t let any second of your life wasting away. Dream big and go after your dream because when you are older regret is your worst
enemy.
2. What kinds of advice would you have about getting and staying married?
The secret to a long marriage? I don’t think if there is a secret, it should be common sense; communication and intimacy are the key to a lasting relationship. By intimacy im not just talking
about sex, although I do think it is important, but I am talking about a lone time together- date nights, the way you guys speak to each other. People think its love, but love comes from
communication and respect for one another. Not have respect for each other is the number one thing a couple should avoid, never belittle your partner. My advice for a younger couple thinking
of calling it quits would be to sit down and talk about what is truly bothering one another and try to find a way to compromise because divorce should NOT be an option.
3. What kinds of advice do you have about raising children?
When raising your kids, do NOT spoil them. I know first-time parents want to give their children everything, but it is the biggest mistake. Make them work for something they want, not work in
a literal sense, but let them earn it, not just because they want it. Let them be adventurous, don’t be afraid to let them take risk, they will learn what hurts and what is great. Don’t scare your
child, the worst thing for a child is to fear the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally.
4. Do you have any advice you can share about finding fulfilling work and how to succeed in a career?
When finding fulfilling work all you have to do is make sure it is something you will enjoy. Make sure it is something you are prepared for or prepared to learn. I would say that the best way to
find fulfilling work is to make sure it is something you can wake up in the morning for without having complaints. To succeed in your career you have to be determined and motivated without
those people will just overlook you as another paycheck.
5. Do you have any advice about retirement? When should people retire? Would you consider retirement a right or a privilege? Why?
Retirement, let me see, I think people should be able to retired at the age of 60 and no earlier. People at 60, at least most, are still able to function with no problems. I do considering retirement
a privilege and I say this because I came here from another country and worked my butt of to work and provide for my family. I gave myself no excuses and those are the people who deserve to
get rewarded in the end.
6. Some people say that they have had difficulty or stressful experiences, but they have learned important lessons from them. Is that true for you? Can you give examples of what you learned?
Yes, it is true for me. In the Philippines I was in one of the top university’s in the medical program and I dropped out because I was pregnant. I thought that I couldn’t do it and the worst thing for
me was to feel like a failure so I just gave up. But my grand-daughter who had her child at 16 works full time and goes to school full time amazes me with her strength and when I see her I just
think to myself I wish I had her courage her determination to be something. I learned that you I shouldn’t have let fear get the better of me, I should have pushed myself to my limits.
7. As you look back over your life, do you see any “turning points,” that is, a key event or experience that changed the course of your life or set you on a different track?
Yes, 1. was when I got married and pregnant. Before my husband and kids I was very independent, working to help my family and going to school to become a doctor, but all of that changed. I
got pregnant and my husband still supported me with my decision to stay in school, but I got scared and dropped out. I was so disappointed in myself, but then my daughter was born and .ever
since then I decided that I wanted nothing more than to be a stay at home mother and care for my children and our home. I never saw my life going that when until my first child was born. 2.
When I moved to America, In the Philippines my husband was very wealthy, but when we decided to move to America we had to sell some of his property to be able to get on our feet. I loved
being a stay at home mom and taking care of my kids, but by this time my youngest was 8 and going to school so I was able to work, but I didn’t just work- I ended becoming a work-a-holic. This
sent me on a different track because now I wasn’t taking care of my kids as much as I did, they were taking care of each other and this made things difficult for ne because they always said that I
was never around, but I had to help provide for my family, but as they are older they understand now.
8. What would you say you know now about living a happy and successful life that you didn’t know when you were twenty?
When I was 20 I thought that being successful was to be have money, but now I realize its to do something you love. If you make a lot of money, but don’t have people to share it with or even
like your job then what is the point, money can’t buy true happiness, it buys things, but sooner or later those things are just that, things. So I would say I have learned that FAMILY is one of the
most successful things in life.
9. What would you say are the major values or principles that you live by?
10. Have you learned any lessons regarding staying in good health?
Yes, you, my grand-daughter, have helped me to realize that good health is very important. In my days I didn’t really pay attention to health, I always put in my mind that I was too busy to
think about it, but now I realize that it is important, especially with how weak I am feeling.
11. What advice would you give to people about growing older?
Don’t be scared to grow older, its part of life the best way to enjoy life is by accepting it. Make sure that you take care of your health because it should be a priority not a suggestion.
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