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How has cultural change affected people?

1. Go back to your Think Pair Share discussion and the five discussion starters.

2. In pairs or small groups, develop a set of interview questions suitable for an older person from your culture.

   You need to find out what cultural changes they have experienced in their lifetimes; how these changes have affected their generation; and if possible how some of those changes affected the generation before them (eg. their parents).

   Make sure that your questions cover:

   • How changes in their culture may have affected their lives;
   • Some consequences (short and long term) of cultural change for them personally;
   • Ways in which changes in their culture may have had an impact on their identity;
   • How changes in their culture may have affected their relationships with members of their families and the community.

3. Practise your questions in your pairs. Check that your questions allow your interviewees to answer more than yes or no or one or two words.

4. Check your questions with your teacher.

5. Give the person you are going to interview the questions before you interview them so that they have time to think of answers.

6. Remember your ethical responsibilities and ask them if they mind you sharing the information in the class to help with your study. Explain to them what you are studying.

   (It may be useful for the whole class to have a permission form outlining the purpose of the interview and explaining what will be done with the results.)

7. Make sure you know how you are going to record the interview - tape recorder, hand written notes, computer...

8. Conduct your interview.

9. Write up the key points from your interview.

10. In pairs or small groups discuss your interview findings using the following headings:

    Cultural changes identified;
    Positive effects of cultural change;
    Negative effects of cultural change;
    

11. Summarise your interview findings using an Inquiry Chart.