Life story interviews are stories of one person’s life. It is best to break the interview into three or four sessions; this takes the pressure off a single interview and gives the storyteller time to remember and reflect on his or her life. It may be best if someone of the same gender is the interviewer – a male interviews a male storyteller and a female interviews a female. For most people, telling their story is a positive experience which gives them a chance to think back on the path their life has taken. But it could also be an emotional experience, so the listener should always make sure that the storyteller is comfortable at the end of each interview and has the support of family or friends.
Family tree interviews explore the lives of members of one family, whether past or present generations. The storytellers offer second-hand stories of what they know about their relatives’ lives. This type of interview won’t give you the details and personal experience of a life story interview, but it will let you see the nature of a family or the change over time in one family. This may be an interesting approach for literacy group members who want to record their own family histories. Cousins, siblings or other family members could work together in groups on their own histories. Two generations of one family could be interviewed about family members to show different perspectives. (Saqiyuq2 is a wonderful book based on interviews with three generations of women in one family.)
Single-issue testimony focuses on a specific theme or event in the storyteller’s life. It may be shorter than a life story, but more detailed. Your group may have a specific topic you want to explore such as traditional parenting, the famines of the 1950s or qajaq building. You could interview several people who have interest in or knowledge of your topic. Interviewees may have a great deal of technical knowledge to share.
Group interviews focus on a specific topic or event. Experts suggest bringing together between five and twelve people. The discussion could last from one to two hours. There are advantages and disadvantages to a group interview. The recording quality may not be as clear – due to noise in the room, two people talking at once, or the position of the microphone being too far from some speakers. People who are less confident or who feel they have less power than others in the group or community might not speakup. The group may subtly pressure people to tell a form of the story that is accepted by the community. This could result in a ‘safe’ version of the past. The advantages are that some people may feel less shy to speak out in a group and one person’s story can trigger memories in other people in the group. You may choose to do a group interview at the beginning of your project and then ask for volunteers for individual interviews.