Interview Paper
Interview Paper Prompt
Chathi Anderson | GOLDEN WEST COLLEGE
Achieving communication competence in a culturally diverse society is necessary for personal and professional success. One way to enhance our understanding of communication as a relationship- building activity is to talk with people from different cultures. This assignment will give you the opportunity to learn about conflict management by interviewing an individual who belongs to a different cultural group (or groups) from your own.
Objectives:
• To compare and contrast how your interviewee and you manage interpersonal conflicts. • Help you improve your ability to communicate competently in interpersonal interactions. • Apply what you have learned in the classroom to actual communication encounters.
Assignment Prompt:
You will interview one person who belongs to a cultural group that is different from your own. You will ask your interviewee about interpersonal conflict in his or her culture(s), and how it is similar and/or different from your own. You will then use the results of the interview to analyze how your own cultural communication practices, with regard to conflict, compare with those of your interviewee.
Some of the concepts that you might ask about in your interviews include:
• culture/society (Ch. 1) • identities (Ch. 2) • listening (Ch. 5) • high-power/low-power distance culture (Ch. 6) • anything from Chapter 7
You will not be able to include all these topics in your paper. You are required to include at least three topics, but no more than four. Since the content for these main points will come from your interview, it is important that you (1) construct your interview questions carefully, (2) ask your interviewee to elaborate on various points, and (3) use paraphrasing and effective listening to ensure clarification and understanding. Keep in mind that the quality of your paper will directly depend on the quality of your interview, so plan and prepare carefully. I recommend you prepare at least five thought- provoking, open-ended questions you would like to ask your interviewee.
Organization
You should organize your paper into the following three parts. I have posted an outline worksheet I give to my elementary students. Every student who uses it has amazing introductions…just saying.
I. Introduction: Provide a brief description of your interview, your interview partner, and the conflict resolution concepts that you focused on for this paper. Include a brief preview of the body of the paper. Body: Discuss in detail the main points corresponding to the various communication topics from your interview. The body is the longest part of the paper and should explicitly address the cultural differences and similarities in interpersonal conflict management you uncovered in the interview. It is important that you provide direct
INTERVIEW PAPER PROMPT | Interpersonal Communication
quotes from your interview partner, as well as direct quotes or references (and source citations) from your course textbook to ensure application of communication concepts in your paper. However, do not fill your paper with quotes only. The bulk of your discussion should focus on your own analytical voice.
II. Conclusion: Provide a brief summary of your paper. Discuss your impressions and observations of the interview and what you learned about culture and communication from this assignment.
Evaluation
Papers will be evaluated based on three criteria. First, papers must demonstrate an understanding of communication concepts and principles. Second, papers must analyze how these communication topics apply across both your way of dealing with interpersonal conflict and your interviewee’s way of handling conflict. Third, papers must demonstrate effective writing mechanics and style.
Requirements:
In five to seven pages, provide a thoughtful analysis of the differences and similarities in conflict management that you discussed with your interviewee. You will need to make explicit connections between your discussion and communication concepts and topics we have covered in class. You will make these applications by directly referencing your textbook. Therefore, you will need to provide in- text citations and a textbook reference as part of your paper. If citations are missing, you have committed plagiarism (don’t panic - we will discuss correct APA citation methods in class).
Papers must be in 12-point font, Times New Roman (or similar font), double-spaced, include page numbers, and have 1-inch margins on all sides. Papers must adhere to APA formatting rules, but you will not give me a title page. I expect 5 to 7 pages of full text. Here is a link to the APA Formatting Guide.
This paper and presentation are worth 100 points broken down as follows: Interview Questions ................................................................................. 10 Points Introduction Rough Draft ....................................................................... 20 Points Final Draft of Paper ................................................................................... 50 Points Presentation ................................................................................................. 20 Points
The final paper is due November 27, 2019 at 11:59 pm, however other portions of your assignment will be due earlier. All of this information will be posted on Canvas in the Assignments tab. You will turn in everything through Canvas. There is a separate prompt for the in-class presentation for this assignment.
General Guidelines/Answers to your Questions:
• Yes, grammar structure and spelling count! If you need help with writing, there is a writing center available on campus willing to assist you.
• Please adhere to the page limitations. • Yes, I will help you. However, I cannot assist you if you ask me within 72 hours of the due date. • Always remember to be mindful, sensitive, and ethically responsible as you perform
this assignment.