The Science and Art of Interviewing

Kathleen Gerson is Professor of Sociology and Collegiate Professor of Arts and Science at New York University. She is the author of The Unfinished Revolution: Coming of Age in a New Era of Gender, Work, and Family (Oxford, 2011) and The Time Divide: Work, Family, and Gender Inequality (with Jerry A. Jacobs, 2004). Sarah Damaske is Associate Professor of Sociology and Labor & Employment Relations at The Pennsylvania State University. She is the author of For the Family? How Class and Gender Shape Women's Work (Oxford, 2011).

• AcknowledgmentsChapter 1: Depth Interviewing as Science and ArtChapter 2: Getting Started: Pinning Down the Questions and Research DesignChapter 3: Interviews with Whom? When a Big Question Meets a Small SampleChapter 4: Constructing an Interview Guide: Creating a Flexible Structure Chapter 5: Conducting Interviews: Seeking Discoveries That MatterChapter 6: Analyzing Interviews: Making Sense of Complex MaterialChapter 7: Pulling It All Together: Telling Your Story and Making Your CaseAppendix A: Examples of Recruitment Documents and ProceduresAppendix B: Examples of Consent FormsAppendix C: Interview SchedulesNotesReferencesIndex

All in all, The Science and Art of Interviewing has two substantial achievements. First, it makes a compelling case for interviewing. It convinces us that it is a powerful tool to uncover rarely observed or even taken-for-granted phenomena given that interviews facilitate 'opening the black box' of individual or organisational processes that are otherwise difficult to observe. Metaphorically speaking, they allow us to get into the kitchen where the dish is being cooked and talk to many different actors that take part in the process. Through this, we get to know key actors, interact with them and uncover processes through their experiences. Second, as interviewing is a laborious, demanding task and process, from identifying our research puzzles to reporting our findings, this book guides us through constructing the road to the end of the research tunnel where enlightenment may dazzle us.