Exploring the life experiences of less-educated rural older adults: Challenges and the possible solution – life story interviews

Abstract

This chapter provides a life-story interview strategy to encourage research participation when interviewees are less educated and less articulate. Unlike the traditional life-story approach or oral history method which emphasize the “natural emergence” of a participant’s life experience, this strategy suggests a starting point, a triggering “linguistic frame” and a “acceptable interview field” to facilitate interview involvement. This strategy could be used in circumstances when participants feel their story is “too normal to be told” or when the knowledge background between interviewer and participants is remarkably significant. Further research needs to be conducted to improve method rigor.