Due: End of Week 7
Interview at least one man and one woman over the age of 65 and ask them to tell you about themselves. While it is acceptable to use family members as interviewees, you may wish to interview someone outside of your family for a different perspective on aging.
In your interviews, you will be looking for gender differences that people have noticed over time. It is usually easiest for people to tell you about themselves in the form of a story.
You may use the following questions as prompts, but ask additional questions to gain a deeper understanding of how political, social, and economic climates have influenced men and women as they age.
What year were you born?
Where did you grow up?
Who were the people who lived with you while you were growing up?
What was your childhood like? What do you remember most?
What was your first job?
Have you ever married?
Have you ever had children?
How has the role of women changed from your perspective?
How has the role of men changed?
What do you think about these changes?
Interview guidelines:
Your interview can be done in person or virtually.
Schedule a time to interview well before the assignment is due. Set aside 60-90 minutes to complete your interview.
Inform the individuals you are interviewing that you are asking them questions as part of an assignment for this class in order to get a better understanding of how life has changed for men and women as they age. Assure them that you will not use their real names in the report.
Let them know that they do not have to answer any questions that make them uncomfortable and that you will not be offended if they choose not to share information with you.
Be mindful of any age-related issues that may (or may not) impact the interview process. This can include sensory deficits (e.g. hearing, vision, mobility) that may require you to make adjustments. Be sure to make note of these adjustments in your write-up.
Be polite and professional and remember to say “thank you.”
Follow up with a thank you message in the form of a card, phone call, email, or another appropriate method.
Write an 8-10 page report summarizing your findings (not including the title page or reference list). Include the age of your subjects, a summary of their stories, and how gender roles have changed over time from the perspective of your interviewees. Do NOT include real names.
The report should read as a biography rather than a question-and-answer session. After summarizing each person’s story, you should draw comparisons between the two interviewees and draw conclusions about what you have learned about gender roles through the eyes of your subjects.
Your assignment should include the following components:
An introduction and statement of purpose
An overview of life histories
A clear and concise description of interviewees’ perceptions of the role of gender in their lives
A detailed evaluation of the ways in which interviewees are similar and different and whether these are influenced by gender roles
A personal reflection about the interview experience and its impact on your own ideas of gendered aging.
Your paper should tell a story about your interviewees as well as your own personal reflections about what you have learned about aging and gender. Your ideas should be well-developed and supported with examples from your interviews. They should flow in a clear, logical manner throughout your paper.
Your assignment should be double-spaced with 1” margins on all sides. Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial. You do not need to submit a separate title page, but please make sure that your name is listed in the header region of the document.
You should provide your list of questions on a separate page at the end of your report.
If you use references, you should provide a reference list at the end of your paper using APA-7 format. Outside references are not required for this assignment; however, if you do use outside references, please use correct in-text citations as appropriate and provide a reference list at the end of your work using APA format. For help with APA format, visit the APA Citations and Style Module in the LEO classroom.
