Re-Formulating Questions: AN Example

Here’s a former student’s first draft of his interview questions and Professor John Forester’s response and suggestions. Study the proposed questions and re-formulations. Can they help you refine your own questions?

Hi H________,

In general, I think this is a fine first draft, and that now, because I am afraid that it is too long, you can prioritize a bit and choose what you would most like to ask, because you won’t have enough time otherwise!

Also, try always to ask about his practice, his actions, his way of responding, rather than about abstractly “what he thinks.” I have tried, section by section, to shorten your questions and to put them in the format always of “How did you do A, B, C…?” How did you handle…? How did you respond too…? How did you manage…?

If you ask that way, I think you will find that you learn what he thought also. But if you ask “what did you think…,” he will most likely NOT tell you want he DID. So: try to ask the many “how???” questions and learn about BOTH what he did and what he thought too! You will see some specific suggestions below.

This will be fascinating. He’s done very interesting work and you can bring back to us all his stories of how he did these things.

I hope this is helpful. – John

Interview Questions (draft)

My topic is a conflict resolution case related to the reform of [an urban] YMCA in [country].

Personal history

1. Childhood

The place and year of birth: the climate and circumstances of the place

What were your most interesting memories during school?
Did you usually talk with your parents? If you did, what kind of topics did you talk about with them?
Do you think that your parents’ job, life style or conversations became one of the models for your life?
Who was the best friend in your school days? Why?

If you only have time for one or two questions here, perhaps try: What models of conversation, or even handling conflict, did you see as a child that may have influenced you? Or maybe: How do you act today in ways that build upon what you saw from your parents or good friends?

2. Motivation for participation in the YMCA

What was your motivation to participate in this social movement?
What was your job in the YMCA?
If you have ever listened to what other people thought about you, what did they say?

Try asking: What have you tried to do in/through the YMCA social movement?

Process of the YMCA reform

1. Background and beginning

What caused the initiative to reform the YMCA?
Why did you think that this was the time to initiate the reform?

Ask how – not “why” – did you come to initiate the reform?

2. Process of the conflict

What situations cased the conflicts? Do you think that one conflict created another?
If there have been conflicts between organizations, what are their pattern and caused them?
Do you think that the Internet has influenced the conflicts and the process of the reform? What is the function of the Internet in this process?

Ask him about what he did, not what he thinks. For example: How have you identified and then responded to conflicts? How have you handled conflicts involving the internet? If some conflicts created other ones, how have you handled that? What have you done in response? What was required for you to do this effectively (What skills, behavior, understanding, attitude…) helped you? How did you do it?

3. Causes and issues

In general, what do you think the causes of the conflict are?
On the surface of the conflicts, it is recognized that structural and institutional problems, such as morally wrong management and bureaucratization, are issues. Are there any problems, such as mutual mistrust in the minds of YMCA staff and members?
Thus, what do you that the critical issues are?

Some ways to focus on what he did:How did you respond to institutional problems like morally wrong management, or mistrust? How did you face these things? You didn’t quit, so how DID you really respond to these causes?

4. Organizing process of the reform

At the initial stage, with whom were you able to discuss the reform? What was the outline of the reform?
If there were groups that were excluded from the discussion for the reform, what was their reaction, and what was the way to include them?
Some groups, such as other local YMCAs, Y's men, and NGOs, have supported your reform. What did you ask them and how did they help your reform?
There were two all-embracing meetings to discuss the existing problems and the reformist vision of the YMCA. Why did you hold the meetings and what were the outcomes?
There are other rituals, such as one-person demonstrations and acts of worship. What were their functions?
There were some people who helped you find evidence on the illegal management. They could have been attacked by others who did not want to reveal what they did. How were they able to help you in spite of that?
There might be advantages and disadvantages in revealing the inner conflicts of the YMCA through a press conference. What were the potential advantages and disadvantages and what were the outcomes?

Ask: Who did you talk to initially? How did you handle groups who felt excluded in the beginning? When other YMCAs did not support you, how did you handle that?

How did you manage the big meetings to discuss these reforms: what did it take to do this skillfully? (If it’s not easy for anyone to do it; what are the challenges? HOW can it be done? How did YOU do it?)

Did any small rituals matter?
How did you get information that others did not want to reveal?
How did you handle the press?

5. The way to resolve conflicts

What are the personal rules or principles that influenced how you perceive and analyze and decided on the direction of the reform? At the reformist group level, what are the principles?
What were the important issues in reconciling your relationship with the opposite group? What was your effort?
If you needed a conversation with the opposite group, what were patterns and outcomes of it?
What will be the issues and the feasible solutions in the future?

Ask: How did you handle conflict? When people distrust or attack or compete with each other, how did you work practically to reconcile them? What did you do? What does it take?

How did you talk to the parties, pro and con, to your opposition?

What did you learn? What would you have done differently, if you could have done something else?

Epilogue

It seems that, on the Internet or other media, there have been rumors about you which hurt emotionally. Sometimes you had to be responsive to it. What was your way to solve these problems?
How did your past experiences influence your decisions and emotional reactions?
There are many conflicts in [country] in industrial relations, in neighborhoods. When you reflect on the outcomes of these conflicts, what do you think that people are missing in resolving them?
What is your opinion on communication and the democratization of citizens’ lives?

Try: This work seems stressful, not a happy walk in the park. What was it like emotionally? What should others expect when they try to do such work: to be afraid? To expect anger? To expect to be attacked? What was this like for you?

(You must, of course, promise confidentiality at the beginning, try to build enough trust to get honest answers here, if possible.)

What experiences prepared you for such stress? How could others do work like yours in the context of [country’s] democratization?