Contacts & Interviews
An essential requirement for the Global Perspectives Team Project is that each team undertakes some form of Cross Cultural Research. This means that you must research the different cultural perspectives around your chosen topic/issue in order to meet your project aims. These different cultural perspectives must also be clearly evidenced in your outcome.
Circle of Viewpoints
As a group you must brainstorm a list of individuals/organisations/businesses that have a variety perspectives on your topic/issue. Once your team has created a list, each team member should take on the role of one of the perspectives. Each team member should then use the below ‘Circle of Viewpoints’ script skeleton (at this link) to explore their viewpoint/perspective.
CIRCLE VIEWPOINTS |
I am thinking of ... your topic... from the point of view of ... the viewpoint you've chosen |
I think ... describe the topic from your chosen viewpoint. Outline whether you think the viewpoint can help you with ACTION or with CROSS CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES. Be an actor - take on the character of your viewpoint. |
A question I have from this viewpoint is ... ask a question from this viewpoint. What questions might the viewpoint ask you about your project? What concerns might they have? |
Each person in the team should then present their circle of viewpoint. At the end of each viewpoint, the team (including the person who presented the viewpoint) should answer the below questions on 2 sticky notes.
- What new ideas do you have about the topic that you didn't have before?
- What new questions do you have for that viewpoint? What questions could you ask that viewpoint?
Who are you going to contact?
Your team should have developed a list of individuals/organisations/businesses/etc that you might want to contact to help you with information for your Team Project. Review the contacts that their team has now.
NOTE: To obtain a cross cultural perspective students do not necessarily need to speak with someone in a foreign country (although this is certainly an avenue you might explore). Working with individuals/organisations in Hong Kong who are from a different background as to their own is considered as a cross cultural perspective. E.g. Local NGOs, Business People, Different economical, social or political demographic, etc. |
Developing Interview Questions
Assess your questions you have developed in during the Circle of Viewpoints activity and compare them against the below guidelines. Some of these ideas might be useful for you if you are interviewing your contact verbally on the phone or in person, but for now, just focus on the questions that you will use when initially making contact.
Guidelines to Asking Good Questions
Well-crafted questions can stimulate, draw out, and guide discussion. They will also help you to understand your Global Perspectives topic area and to gain information that will help you to take action. Use these guidelines to develop your questions further for both written and verbal interviews.
QUESTION GUIDELINES |
Plan your questions. Before you write your letter or interview your contact, outline your information goals and a sequence of related questions to help ensure you get the information you require. Make sure the person is clear of the aims of your group project. |
Know your purpose. Every question you ask should help you gather either facts or an opinion. Know which kind of information you need and frame your questions accordingly. |
Open conversation and Open Questions. Unlike simple yes-or-no questions, open-ended questions invite the respondent to talk — and enable you to gather much more information. “What ways could a school student take action on this issue?” is likely to generate more valuable information than “Can we take action?”. When thinking about the different perspectives, “How can climate change be stopped?” is a relatively closed question because the answer is simply to stop putting CO2 into the atmosphere. An improved version of this question might be ”To what extent can the effects of climate change be off set?” This question will encourage the person to present a perspective which is what you are seeking. |
Speak your listener’s language. Relate questions to the listener’s frame of reference and use words and phrases that your listener understands. In verbal interviews, if someone doesn’t seem to understand what you’re asking, try rephrasing. |
Use neutral wording. In your interviews you will be trying to gain a perspective and opinion on your issue. You should avoid using leading questions such as 'What problems do you have when working with the Government?' The emphasis on the word 'problems' will always mean that you receive a negative response. However, asking 'What is your relationship with the Government?' allows the interviewee to answer from both aspects (positive and negative). A leading question is a question which subtly prompts the respondent to answer in a particular way. You should ensure that you don’t lead the person to just tell you what they think you want to hear. |
Follow general questions with specific ones. For verbal interviews, build a hierarchy of questions that begins with the big picture and gradually drills down into specifics with follow-up questions. |
Focus your questions so they ask one thing at a time. To get more complete answers, craft short questions, each of which covers a single point. If you really want to know two different things, ask two different questions. |
Ask only essential questions. If you don’t really care about the information that’s likely to come, don’t ask the question. Respect the other person’s time and attention to avoid appearing resistant to closing the deal. |
Don’t interrupt. In verbal interviews, listen to the full answer to your question. The art of good questioning lies in truly wanting the information that would be in the answer. |
Transition naturally. In verbal interviews, Use something in the answer to frame your next question. Even if this takes you off your planned path for a while, it shows that you’re listening, not just hammering through your agenda, and it ensures that the conversation flows naturally. |
Now you have had time to reflect on your questions as a team try to organise your questions under the following headings:
Questions for Initial Contact |
Questions for follow-up/interviews in person |
Questions that we won’t use |
Add any additional questions that you think would be useful and meet the good questions guidelines.
Writing a formal Letter/email
In pairs, select one of your contacts to draft a letter/email. You should include 3-4 of your best questions in your initial letter. Focus on the vital information that you need at this stage. This could be relating to what type of action might be most effective for your group to take or how you might be able to support a local organisation in your community.
Use the sample template to help you prepare your letter. You should not copy the template word for word. Use your own language and make it original. Bare in mind that several teams might be contacting the same contact so try and adjust your letter, the sample is there just to guide you. Once you have written your letter/email get at least 2 people to read through your draft once it is finished. Make sure the purpose and aims of your project are clear and the information you are requesting will be useful for the project.
Use the sample template to help you prepare your letter. You should not copy the template word for word. Use your own language and make it original. Bare in mind that several teams might be contacting the same contact so try and adjust your letter, the sample is there just to guide you. Once you have written your letter/email get at least 2 people to read through your draft once it is finished. Make sure the purpose and aims of your project are clear and the information you are requesting will be useful for the project.
Using Zoom/ Google meet
As part of your Team project you may have an opportunity to interview someone from another culture or organisation. You may have made initial contact through an email or letter
Zoom can be a useful tool to enable contact between your groups and valuable cross cultural sources. at distance. Protocols for setting up a zoom meeting here |