Intercultural Interview & Report ESSAY

Intercultural Interview & Report

Introduction

One goal of the interview is to get the person’s story. Every sojourner has a story; some stories are rather standard, but some are fascinating. You may find that your interviewee has had very little interaction with Ameri­cans even though he or she sits next to them in classes every day. The interviewee may be interested in learning about you and your culture and view the interview as a chance to learn something new, too (in a sense is his or her reward for granting the interview). You may find that you have to do a little self-disclosure yourself to get him or her to self-disclose.

This Experience Will Provide You An Opportunity to/for:
1. actual involvement in an intercultural communication process.
2. immediate application of and reaction to concepts learned in the course.
3. learning directly about another’s culture.
4. understanding cultural as well as individual similarities and differ­ences.
5. exchange of experiences with another(such as foods, meals, family, etc.)

To Prepare for the Interview:
1. Find an international person, who belongs to a group referenced in our textbook, to interview. This person must belong to a cultural group different than your own and must have been in the US less than one year. Ask for permission to interview, promise them anonymity and schedule a day/time for interview. Tell them about the class that you are taking.
2. Read the specific cultural section about your interviewee (from textbook) and the Intercultural Communication (Text, Ch. 3) PRIOR to conducting your interview.
3. You must begin by answering the same interview questions about yourself PRIOR to interviewing your international interviewee.
4. You must begin and end by assuring the interviewee of ANONYMITY, and use a false name in the report. Ask the interviewee to supply a false name consis­tent with his or her language or nationality/culture/ethnicity. If the interviewee claims he/she has no preference whether you to use his/her real name, use a false name anyway.
5. Remember the interviewee may be uncomfortable with his/her language limitations. Try speaking slowly, use common words and straightforward sentences, and avoid English, slang. Wait for feedback after each question. Avoid dry humor or facetious statements.
6. Thank your interviewee and express gratitude for their willingness to share.

To Prepare Your Interview for Your Report & Threaded Discussion:

You will submit a report that addresses:
1. Address any preconceived notions that you had about the interviewee’s background (ethnicity/culture/nationality) before conducting the interview. Were these notions confirmed? Please elaborate further.
2. Does your interviewee fit our textbooks description of people from his/her background (ethnicity/culture/nationality)? Please elaborate further.
3. Acculturation process/experiences of interviewee in US. Based on course material, where do you think your interviewee is in the acculturation process? What did they say that led you to this conclusion? Please elaborate further.
4. What traditional food choices were like yours? Please explain. And which were not at all like yours? Please elaborate further.
5. What healing practices/beliefs were like yours? Please explain. And which were not at all like yours? Please elaborate further.
6. What family values were like yours? Please explain. And which were not at all like yours? Please elaborate further.
7. What celebrations were like yours? Please explain. And which were not at all like yours? Please elaborate further.
8. After preparing for and conducting this interview, how can a person avoid ethnocentric judgments of other’s food choices, healing ideas and therapies, and religious or family values that may vary from their own? Please elaborate further using textbook.
Next Unit you will share a portion of your findings with the class at the Thread Board (Remember to maintain your Interviewees identity at all times).