In depth Interviews and being present

How does one conduct an in-depth interview without becoming emotionally moved by the powerful narrative unfolding before him/her? One must be a rock or an automaton to remain unaffected. I am all flesh, unfortunately. I try practicing being present, breathing and channeling love towards my interviewee throughout the process. I hope to make them understand that I am trustworthy and will handle their story with care and love.

Yeah, is using love for research purposes a valid academic practice? Enter feminism. It is undeniable that, consciousness raising affects both the interviewer and the interviewee. I can think of three valid scenarios where this can be proven.

Acknowledgement of reality

Women's lives are real, acknowledging that she lived in a rural community, had children, laboured in a plantation and raised her family is reality, as far as I am concerned. It is also but one experience which contributes to a larger narrative. When she tells her-story, she re-creates her narrative by exercising authorship over her experiences. When she creates, she affects collective reality which then must include her reality. The interviewer bears testimony for the act of creation which also impacts his/her reality.

Empowerment of the interviewee

I remember interviewing one woman who told me that it was the first time anyone had ever asked her opinion about something. She had spoken at length of her fear of speaking in a general assembly(the platform for cooperative members to raise questions to the management). She was afraid of seeming foolish and ignorant so she never spoke up. One of the things which always rankled her mind was a  question was about poor performance of the cooperative and how their yearly dividends had started to dwindle. We assured her that it was a valid concern which should be addressed by the management of the cooperative, however she felt she would not have been taken seriously. It was an immense effort for her to communicate her thoughts to us. We listened to her, affirmed her beliefs and assured her that it was necessary for her to speak up. 

Emotional catharsis

I have also observed women going through an emotional catharsis when they speak about painful experiences. One interviewee spoke about her deep ambivalence being abandoned by her abusive husband. She spoke about how he had refused to accept her pregnancy which led her to several attempts to abort her fetus which did not succeed. As she spoke, tears flowed and she relived the moment when she felt completely alone. At that point, I could only channel love and acceptance, allowing her to release her pain within a loving space. Later she mentioned, that her decision to carry on the pregnancy was the will of God. The child grew up to be her pride and joy which she acknowledges is God's work.

It is not possible to overlook or dismiss emotions which arise in the interviews. Emotions of the interviewees must be processed and handled with care. It requires a lot of awareness and sensitivity on the part of interviewer. As much as it is about gathering data, a human subject is complex, unique and awe-inspiring and should be treat with utmost respect.