Identify an adult volunteer to interview
Lifespan Analysis Interview and paper
You are required to conduct an interview (60 min) with an adult (18+ years) from a different cohort than your own (see definitions of cohorts in file under the assignments tab on Blackboard). The goal of this interview project is to explore the Life Course Theory on development first proposed by Elder (1998) as well as to acquaint you with developmental perspective and milestones of a stage of adulthood. This interview is different than a clinical interview in that we are interested in normative development and the cares and concerns of their daily lives.
First, identify an adult volunteer to interview. This adult must not be a fellow classmate. It may be helpful to record this interview. Your notes on the interviewee’s responses should be turned in with the final interview paper. A full transcript of the interview is not necessary. Given your need to record, or take notes on, the interview it will be necessary to secure permission to conduct this interview. A sample consent will be posted under the assignments tab on Blackboard. Documentation of an agreement with an adult volunteer to be interviewed is due by July 1st. (2 points)
Next, you should conduct your 60-90 minute interview. This should be a semi-structured interview where the interviewer probes in response to the A sample list of interview questions will be posted under the assignments tab on Blackboard. You need not use the exact wording or the exact order but please make sure to address all the topics that appear on the list. (2 points)
Lastly, write a paper addressing how the historical time periods in which your respondent developed influenced their development. First, describe the historical moment that your interviewee was born into including major historical events that they’ve experienced. Explain how their age and historical context for two of the following 4 stages influenced their development:
infancy/toddlerhood,
early and middle childhood,
adolescence/emerging adulthood,
young, middle or late adulthood.
For each of the two stages:
Explain how the interviewee’s age at each of these historical moments relates to how these events influenced their lives. For example, who were in elementary school when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon might have been inspired to careers in science the 2008 recession influenced young adults in their first positions differently than those who were close to retirement age (the latter tended to have more trouble finding work if they became unemployed). You may have to fill in some of these connections as respondents themselves may not be able to consider this. An infant may not have a grasp of historical trends in parenting norms like encouraging formula vs. breastfeeding but it could be argues that these may have influenced their development. (2 points per stage)
Explain how the respondents’ age at the time of the event might affected how they interpreted historical events. For example, I was a child when the US space program suffered a major calamity, which I watched on live tv (the Challenger explosion). This event, along with economic changes, influenced the way the country saw the space program. Fewer of my classmates aspired to be astronauts than in previous generations. However, I was only 7 years old so my cognitive and socioemotional ability to process this tragedy was a bit limited compared to my ability to process this as an adult. An young adult graduating college during the 2008 recession might reflect on this in differently than a middle aged adult due in part to the major milestones facing them at the time. (2 points per stage)
Characteristics of each stage discussed should be cited. These citations can consist of required readings for the course or outside readings. Contact me if you need help looking for cites.
It may also be helpful to contrast how might the respondent’s developmental trajectory might have been different were they born into another birth cohort. See also the general description of cohorts that is uploaded onto the assignments tab on Blackboard. Support claims about developmental stages or milestones with citations.
-Interviewee Notes developmental_cohorts_1 suggested_questions_for_cohort_interview
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