Interview Analysis of the COSPLAY Subculture

I.Objectives
After having conducted an observation of the fieldsite and collected data of various kinds, your ethnographic perspective will not be complete unless you hear from members of the subculture. Consequently, this assignment shall enable you to:

• Develop effective interview questions
• Explore insider perspective
• Debunk any myths or stereotypes about the subculture
• Learn how to transcribe and code interviews
• Learn effective strategies in qualitative data interpretation

II.Description
In this assignment, you will learn to listen and record the perspective of your informant. Prepare for your interviews by conducting background research and field observation and by writing interview questions. Make sure to test your interview equipment and rehearse your interview questions with a research partner. You may wish to use a cultural artifact to help focus your interview(s). Upon completion, transcribe four minutes of two of your interviews. Those four-minute portions of each interview should be the ones you find the most relevant to your research and should be turned in with your essay.

In a two-page essay, make an argument where you report the findings from your interviews by
focusing on the following items:

• Describe your informants
• Include the language of your informant(s)
• Analyze language from interview transcript
• Draw connections between the interview findings and the subculture
• Include insider phrases, jargon, or occupation terms used by the informant(s)
• Discuss what you have learned from the interview
• Discuss the themes that emerge from your interviews
• Reflect on your assumptions or preconceptions that were debunked through the interview process.
• What would you have done differently?

Required Format
Use APA style
1 and ½ space
Title your paper
Include a reference page
Use Times New Roman 12
Leave 1″ margins

III.Evaluation Criteria
Your paper should:

• State and develop a coherent thesis
• Analyze and interpret your informants’ language
• Support its thesis with evidence from the transcriptions
• Identify your positionality as a fieldworker
• Use a clear and logical organization
• Be clear, engaging, and error-free