Description of Methods and Presentation of Information

Family interview
Name
Institution
Family Interview
Description of methods
The interview was conducted by Name; the interviewee was Mr. George Mark who is about to celebrate the 78th birthday on March 12. Mr. George is my grandfather. The interview took place at Mr. George’s house due to several reasons; first, he has some health complications and therefore, he needs to be close to someone who attends to him. Second, his house, according to him “has many stories about his youthful life,” hence, the will be able to remember more stories by looking at the pictures and artifacts that are around him. Another person who was there during the interview was his maid and a grandson who likes the company of his grandfather. The objective of the interview was to discover the background history of the interviewee, the changing patterns in his family that include how he grew up, formed a family, worked and later retired and lastly, the beliefs he held and still hold.
Presentation of information
Mr. George Mark was born on March 12, 1939, in Massachusetts; he says that they were eight children, five males, and three females. He was the last born, and therefore, little was expected of him compared to the first born James Mark, who was 20 years older than him. George says that they were born many to supply labor that was critical at the time. The interviewee says that the society raised him; any child that showed irresponsible behavior was punished by anyone in the community that was not necessarily his/her parents. George considers the current generation as “a lost generation” because the community in which children are being raised is not responsible. The duty of raising children responsibility has been placed in the hands of teachers because “even parents are not available for their children.”
George says that “children were taught knowledge depending on who they are.” Boys were taught how to work hard so that when they are grownups, they can feed the family and girls were taught how to take care of the house and raise children in a responsible manner. George says that he was raised by his mother because his father was involved in the Second World War. He looked down and said, “I saw his face last when I was three-years-old.” He describes his schooling as something that was full of challenges but says that he was happy to have known how to read and write.
The interviewee remembers the Second World War as a political event that transformed his growth in many perspectives. He says that his family and education was significantly affected when his father died during the war. He says, “my dad was everything, he was the pillar of the family; everyone dependent on him.” His mother and the elder brothers were forced to work in the industries to support the family; the extend family was also supportive on his upbringing as it was there in times of need. George’s family depended on offering casual labor in the industries and factories that were within the Massachusetts. However, those who could not secure jobs in industries could rely on farming as the primary source of income. In most occasions, men worked in industries while women worked in farms t...