ABSTRACT
In this chapter I want to argue that what emerges from interviews is highly dependent on the nature of the relationship that can be built between the participants and how they experience its tasks and purposes. I want to persuade you that in the initial stages, assessment is more about the interviewer than the interviewee. It is about what preconceptions the interviewer brings, and about what learning the interviewer can achieve through the interviewing process. The families we see may have goals that differ from those of the involved professionals:
At first it was not very good – I kept losing my temper – which is bound to happen when they are threatening to take your son off you As its gone along, things have got better … we've got more friendly – we talk to each other – instead of shouting and bawling at each other (laughs) …. She actually stayed quite calm – she tried to calm me down. I just couldn't hold my temper back – I had to let it out. She either just sat there and let me say what I had to say – or she'd sit there and talk to me and tell me to calm down. (Ms Durgan)
(Dale, 2004: 150)… he nigh on interrogated me. It was the questions he asked, and I wasn't in a fit state to talk to anyone. He was very much accusing.
( Thoburn et al., 1995: 55)All along, social services seemed to be testing and pushing us. They wanted to see how far we would go. They were just waiting for us to snap. Waiting for us to make any little mistake. I don't think they really thought we were human then.
(Lindley, 1994: 32)