You may seek out a person in your community, someone who is of a visible minority or a different religion. You must be very polite and diplomatic. Explain that you are studying to be a police officer, and you would like to know more about their culture and experiences in Canada. Be clear that this interview is part of your course, and their name will not be used (FOIP).
Ask your contact if they could comment on your ‘style,’ on their feelings about your approach. You may easily run into resistance here. You must make an effort to explain that in order to do your job properly, you need to understand something about the people in the community, and that this course is about diversity. Never press the issue if they refuse; apologize, and thank them for their time. If you do gain their consent, be respectful and LISTEN.
You may practice here all that you have learned. We are looking for good anecdotes, stories, and experiences, not just a generic statement such as “It was difficult adjusting.”
Interview Instructions
This task has several dimensions.
You have two probable advantages here. First you are a student and are requesting help completing an assignment. The importance of education is universally recognized and generally, most people will look favourably on a request from a student. The second advantage is that most cultures will appreciate the fact that a person who intends to become a police officer is actively trying to learn and understand something about their culture.
How will you approach this assignment? For many students there is a certain level of discomfort with this assignment. It might require you to step outside of your comfort zone, and perhaps your normal sphere of socialization. I want to hear about this process, so include your thoughts and feelings around this assignment. Where will you find someone? Will the venue of approach influence the likelihood of success? (For example a dark night when a person is walking alone vs. a hall in the college or a public place like a mall with many people actively present and socializing, etc.) Perhaps you belong to a club or association?
What will you say to initiate the conversation? How significance is tone of voice, body language, eye contact etc? How aware are you of these elements?
How will you enable the comfort level of your interviewee? How do you plan to establish the trust level necessary for them to feel good about your request and want to share their story with you?
Again, be prepared to thank them for their time in your most diplomatic and polite manner…this whether they walk away in the first few seconds or if you end up sharing a coffee and excellent rapport while doing your interview.
I want to hear about the process, thoughts and feelings in numbers 3 and 4.
From the persona assignment instructions:
We are looking for some good research here. Be geographically correct. Describe your upbringing, your siblings, your parents, and your extended family. What did you eat? When were the feast days? When did the family gather? What were your first experiences in Canada? What were your first impressions? How old were you when you came? Did you have any difficulties with school or with language?
The narrative, the story is an integral part of all human societies. There are points of similarity amongst all of the narratives, but there are also points of divergence and dissimilarity.
The instructions directly above are from the persona assignment.
There are points in these instructions which you can use as a base for questions you might want to prepare for this interview assignment.
What are the differences between their home culture and Canada? What are the similarities? What do they miss? What do they appreciate?
What difficulties do they/have they experienced with their move to this country? Have people been helpful or not?
Above all!
The most significant part of this assignment is that you will find a way to develop trust with another human being. As this happens you want to be open and listen to their story. This is a privilege and can benefit you in many ways: personally, in your future career, and of course in succeeding in this assignment and course. Be flexible and open. When your interviewee starts telling you their story, be encouraging and think of ways to help them continue. Do not think that you must get your list of prepared questions answered. What they want to tell you, what their story comprises is what you need to hear.
The emotional and psychological parts of this assignment are important! How did you do it? What feelings and thoughts did you go through? Did you establish rapport with your interviewee? Often people find they meet a new friend, go for a coffee later, or even get invited to a meal or cultural event. What were your difficulties in doing this and how did you surmount them?