A society of the interviewed? The social stratification of experiences with being interviewed in Switzerland

Abstract A recurring argument in methodological discussions of the open-ended interview concerns its substantial spread in contemporary societies. Empirical insights into this spread, however, remain limited. This article introduces the argument and situates it within current research on qualitative interviewing before presenting an original quantitative study on the extent of this spread. Data on experiences with being interviewed were collected from a sample of the Swiss population and analyzed in an exploratory manner to examine the distribution and social stratification of such experiences. The results highlight that the argument of a substantial spread is appropriate, as almost half of the respondents state that they have experience with being interviewed. Furthermore, the results show that experiences relate to age and gender in specific ways. With regard to age, retired respondents often report not knowing whether they have had such experience. This refers to the possibility of different approaches to the interview as a cultural form. With regard to gender, women, and particularly women with lower volumes of capital, more often state that they have never been interviewed. Men with higher capital volumes report having been interviewed in multiple contexts. This re-emphasizes a narrative around women’s experiences that informs more recent methodological discussions of the open-ended interview.