Gun and Gang Violence Interview
This mid-term assignment comes in two parts:
- Part 1: Find someone to interview. This can be a colleague, friend or family member. Please obtain written consent from your interview participant to use this interview for a course assignment. Please assign a pseudonym. Record your interview. Go back and listen to your interview and selectively transcribe 'puncture moments' in this interview (Kushnir 2020). Moments of puncture are moments that arrest, surprise, confound or provoke you as the investigator .
- Part 2: Go over your transcript and critically reflect on this experience. Prompts for reflection include: how did you, as investigator, feel implicated in this encounter? What were the dynamics of power in this interview? What power relations are being upheld and/or dismantled? How did your surrounding environment influence your interview?
What were the notable non-spoken elements of this interview (ex. silence, laughter, refusal) and what did they reveal to you? How would you go back and do thi interview differently? This part must include citations from the course text/s.
Please submit the following as part of your complete assignment:
1. Written consent from your participant
- Your selected transcript excerpts or 'puncture ' moments
- Your 1000-word critical reflection
(Times New Roman, double-spaced, 12, MLA 8th formatted).
Instructor
Course
Date
Gun and Gang Violence Interview
Written consent from the participant
This is written proof that I am voluntarily involved in this interview. I am aware that I can choose to leave or withdraw consent at any time, and can confirm that I have not been forced or coerced to take part in the interview. I understand that the whole process will be recorded. I am also aware that a transcript from the project can be used in other projects and would like to indicate that the interviewer can exploit the information as they deem it, as long as they do not distort the information. The interviewer and his affiliates can quote directly from the transcripts.
By signing this form, I agree that I have read the interview consent form and understand what is expected of me.
Interviewee’s Name: John Doe Date:
Interviewee’s Signature:
Interviewer’s Signature and Contact:
Selected transcript excerpts or ‘puncture’ moments
Interviewer: Do you think gang violence will end?
Interviewee: (A long silence and sighs) As we speak, someone is probably shot, bleeding to death, or there is a plot to take out someone in the hood.
Interviewer: Is the federal or state government doing enough to intervene, especially since gun and gang violence is increasingly tied to children as young as 12 years old?
Interviewee: As long as it does not target the white man, the government will only show to collect the body. Also, these kids are sharing incriminating information-self snitching, in their rap videos, lyrics, and social media. That’s enough to lock them up.
Interviewer: What would you recommend to the government, especially with regard to young and upcoming rappers that are constantly exposed to gun and gang violence?
Interviewee: Bring back the death penalty and not life prison sentences. If someone is guilty of murder, tie them to the electric chair. Make it scary to someone contemplating murder or vengeance that often invites a series of murders.
Interviewer: Have you seen a gang-related activity that turned violent?
Interviewee: (Long silence for about 10 seconds. Stares into the sky and says) Ask me something else. The streets are clear; if you snitch without witness protection, you are dead. Anonymous reporting is important because one does not easily become a target.
Reflection
The interview reveals the connection between rap music, especially among young, upcoming, and established rappers, and gun and gang violence. His claims are justified since cities such as Chicago and Jacksonville register violent gang activities, often involving the music industry (Kot). As an investigator, I felt implicated in this encounter. I have watched multiple true crime investigation documentaries that are gun and gang-related and often include young drill rappers constantly at war with each other. More often, it involves vengeance for murders that occurred a decade ago. In some instances, innocent bystanders are caught in the violence, with some becoming paralyzed or, worse, losing their lives. Parents constantly worry about whether their children might be caught in gang violence, which often turns fatal.
Importantly, the interview did not exhibit notable uncomfortable reflexivity. The interviewee did not appear as a reluctant respondent, which can adversely affect the outcome of the interview. Reluctant respondents barely cooperate and exhibit stalling behaviors, including refusing to answer questions, which can demoralize an interviewer. Additionally, they are prone to withdrawing consent, which was barely witnessed in this case as the interview ended with the interviewee offering detailed answers. According to Nairn et al., silence, laughter, and the setting of the interview can also be employed to understand the success of the interview (221). Silence or refusing to talk are examples of non-spoken elements. Based on the interview, the interviewee’s silence cannot be treated as an instance of refusal, which often signals a failed interview. In fact, based on the facial expression, one can assume that he was brooding, signaling a deep thought to establish the right words that would address the questions. Body language can be used to determine the cooperation of the interviewee, which ultimately signals interview success. I established that the nature of the interview, including discussing g...