ABSTRACT
The interview is an uncertain art or skill, sometimes productive and sometimes counter productive. This chapter presents an overview of the interview and its use in other disciplines, most notably sociology—once referred to as ‘the science of the interview’—before turning to its place and use in anthropology. The interview is not just a popular qualitative research method and means for knowledge coproduction. The interview has become both research trajectory and contemporary trend, particularly as expressed through the discipline of sociology. Person-centred interviews require a high degree of reflexivity and reflection in the counsellor. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book features a variety of examples of interview use highlighting issues ranging from creativity to rapport, silence to subversion and apology. It considers the interview an instance of inspiration, a rebounding or zigzagging of creativity.
