Interview Plan

Nick Cook

10/24/2019

 

1.How will an in-depth interview fill in the gap of your current knowledge about the topic?

  • I am currently only viewing my question from the perspective of someone who has lived his entire life in Vermont. I want to broaden the breadth of experiences recorded in my piece by talking to someone who has lived in many different places in North America.

2.What are the purposes of your in-depth interview?

  • To further elucidate on the divisions and questions of Vermont identity from someone who lived in different states.

3.What are the five topics that you want to focus on?

  • What makes Vermont so different from other states?
  • What compelled you to settle down and stay here in this state for the rest of your life?
  • Is there a cohesive Vermont identity?
  • Are the socio-economic divides in Vermont significant in the context of the rest of America?
  • Does the rest of the country have anything it could learn from Vermont facing these issues?

4.Who is your interviewee? Why is this person able to fulfill the purposes?

  • State Senator Chris Pearson. Chris was born in Alberta, Canada then his family moved around before settling down in his teenage years in Maine and he spent a year in London before going to the University of Vermont and deciding that Vermont was the place for him. He believed in the state enough to not only settle down here but represent it for many years in the legislature. He has both experiences with living in many different places as well as the socio-economic distinctions that have arisen in Vermont.

5.When, where, how (in person, telephone, skype) do you plan to do the interview? How may these decisions impact the interview?

  • Most likely over telephone. Obviously this creates a bit of divide as we won’t be able to react to each other in real time as much. It may be possible to do it in person—which is my preferred option because it creates a more casual environment while simultaneously keeping us engaged because of the ability to read facial expressions and body language.

6.How do you see the roles of you and your interviewee?

  • I’m looking at the conversational style. As two colleagues; one seeking to gain knowledge from the other through dialogue over time.

7.What may be some unexpected events that prevent you from fulfilling all the goals of the interview? If they happen, what is your Plan B?

  • We could easily just not have the time to do this. In which case I have two similar political figures with similar backgrounds to Chris who I could more easily interview in person. The other option is a person with experience in urban life in Boston and talking to them about their experiences in contrast to rural Vermont.