Qualitative Interviews in Social Work: Techniques & Applications
Oral History in Social Work
Although it differs in its aim towards another type of open qualitative interview, it is methodologically very similar. For this reason, we have included it as a type of interview that can be of great interest to the social worker to better contextualize the emergencies experienced by people who require their assistance. The narration can be recorded or, alternatively (in case of rejection by the interviewee), listened to, and log entries can be made. It can range in duration but will generally be much shorter than a prototypical life story, which could possibly require hours of recording on consecutive days. We are more interested in short stories than vast life experiences.
Common applications of oral history to the social worker will focus on obtaining the meanings attributed by the person interviewed to events or difficult circumstances experienced in their life context. It also focuses on the use of narratives that can be offered by people linked to such an individual, such as family, fellow students, or friends, etc., whose own life experiences are linked to the person who interests us. These narratives may introduce new perspectives for the analysis of the situation and generate proposed solutions adjusted to its context.
Testimonial Interviews
Testimonial interviews are useful in the context of case methodology and specifically in collecting information from people who wish to return within the scope of the subject’s daily life to solicit help from social services. In some cases, the social worker may be aware of the individual’s lack of sincerity when reporting the emergency situation they are experiencing. Think of situations in which women or children may be suffering abuse. Due to the inherent difficulty of recognition and narration of the timing of attacks received by the abused person, it is essential that the professional turn to other nearby individuals who can offer stories (versions) of such events. They will be asked to adopt a position of neutrality and avoid making value judgments.
In this sense, this type of interview moves further away from the inherent interpretative qualitative research, closer to the mere reproduction of facts (the external truth), although the respondent’s neutrality is difficult to sustain in extreme situations, such as domestic violence or crime.
To the extent that the person interviewed speaks of others, it connects with the inter-centered view of shared experiences with the person who helps, an application referred to above in the section on oral history. In certain cases, it would be complementary, although the structure of the testimonial interview is more rigid and closed than that of oral history.
Exploratory Interviews
Exploratory interviews take on special meaning in the context of community social work and specifically in the initial stage of identifying the needs and potential of the social space we are addressing, be it the neighborhood, the institution or organization, collective, or particular social movement. If the social worker does not live immersed in this social space, the use of exploratory interviews is almost indispensable in its twin objectives of information and networking.
They are conducted among a small number of respondents with experience in the subject of the intervention with which we are dealing. The selection of these arises from the definition of the population to which our action is directed: associations or organizations. They must be persons belonging to that group or population, typical of the observed social environment, and willing to offer their particular interpretation of the problem that underlies the action initiated by the social worker. The success of the interaction established with these informants lies in the possibility that they serve as a contact with others who share interests and are willing to develop cohesion and integration tasks in the ward or in the delimited social space.
The number and characteristics of those selected will vary according to the organizational action that one thinks of in terms of isolated groups or interconnected groups. That is, for example, if we think of an umbrella organization of various groups.