“Let’s Take a Look Together”: Walking Interviews in Domestic Spaces as a Means to Examine ICT Experiences of Women 60+

Abstract

<p>Although mobile methods are becoming more common within the social sciences (e.g. Ricketts Hein et al., 2008 and Wiederhold, 2015, p. 607), they mostly take place outdoors. This paper examines the potential of <em>walking interviews conducted in small domestic spaces </em>to explore the ICT experiences of women aged 60+ and <em>to </em>discuss <em>the </em>challenges and advantages of this method. This <em>case study of </em>indoor walking interview material <em>is a part of a larger </em>research project on <em>the </em>ICT experiences of women 60+ in the Austrian province of Styria. T<em>he a</em>dvantages <em>and challenges </em>of <em>conducting </em>walking interviews in the homes of interviewees are <em>identified and explored. As this case study demonstrates, walking interviews in homes </em>give the researcher <em>a </em>glimpse <em>into the </em>private areas of everyday life<em>, </em>let the interviewees lead the <em>researcher </em>through <em>the </em>space<em>, allow the participants to conduct </em>the conversation<em>, and thus </em>invite <em>a reflection on the power dynamics inherent in the interview situation. This </em>method <em>also </em>compares <em>the statements provided by participants in semi-structured interviews with the information gathered through an encounter with media and ICTs in the home. These comparisons yield a variety of insights on prior statements through the addition of </em>emphas<em>es</em>, “contradictions,” <em>or </em>minimizing the importance of previous <em>interview </em>statements. Moreover, interactions with <em>the </em>objects <em>in the home that are encountered </em>during the walking interview al<em>s</em>o provide <em>important </em>“<em>prompts” to stimulate </em>a detailed and multifaceted discussion of everyday life experiences <em>with ICTs and other media</em>.</p>