The influence of cross-cultural interviewing on the generation of data

Abstract

We investigated the trustworthiness of qualitative data elicited during cross-cultural interviews and problematised data generation as a vital contributor in cross-cultural data collection. An Interview Process Model was adapted from the Response Process Model of Miller and Cannell, and used to understand how responses might be elicited differently in a cross-cultural interviewing situation than during mono-cultural interviewing, and specifically which data would be generated for collection and ultimately for analysis and interpretation. In this study, the concept 'cross-culture' was focused on three dimensions and/or discourses, namely, race, gender, and language. The two researchers were of different race, gender, and language, and were therefore assumed on occasion to evoke different perceptions and responses from interviewees, influencing the data offered for collection. An interview protocol was devised to distinguish a cross-cultural interview from a mono-cultural interview. The findings are discussed with caution and further reverse study is recommended.

South African Journal of Education Vol. 26 (4) 2006: pp. 553-564