RJA #7c: Field Research Plan

For my field research, I'm going to interview Gina Weitzenkorn, a Child & Family Investigator (CFI) and possibly a Guardian ad Litem. I will interview her in her office as that is more convenient for her. I will be using an audio recording device and taking notes. I want to complete my interview with the CFI by the week of October 12th. Some of the questions I will be asking the CFI will include (not in any particular order):

1. What is your role as a CFI?
2. What are some of the issues that see you children dealing with during their parents divorce?
3. How do you see these issues affecting these children in the long run?
4. What do you think parents can do to ease the effects of divorce on children.

I will also be interviewing two adults (A.G. and L.C. and maybe others) about their experiences as children with their parents' divorce and the effects, if any, that they are dealing with now. With these interviews, I will be mailing each of them a questionnaire to complete and then arrange for follow up conversations should I need clarification on any of their responses or additional information. I will conduct the follow up sessions/interviews by phone. I want to send out my questionnaires the week of October 5th and have them returned, reviewed and do my followup sessions the week of August 19th. Some of the questions (open ended, survey and yes/no) I will be asking include (not in any particular order):

1. How old were you when you realized your parents were having marital problems?
2. Did you ever think that your parents might separate or divorce?
3. How old were you when your parents divorced?
4. I had to take sides in my parents' conflicts (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
5. When you were growing up, did you feel too responsible for taking care of your mother/father/brother or sister?
6. At any time in the years after the divorce, were you asked to choose which parent to live with?
7. I often missed my mother/father (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
8. There are things that my mother/father has done that I find hard to forgive (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
9. I generally felt physically safe (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
10. I was alone a lot as a child (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
11. Sometimes I felt like I didn't' have a home (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
12. I generally felt emotionally safe (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
13. I felt like I had two families (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
14. I felt like I had two homes (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
15. When you were growing up did you ever run away from home?
16. When you were growing up were you ever kicked out of the house?
17. I feel I can depend on my friends more than my family (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
18. When I have a conflict with someone, I usually feel it can only get worse, not better (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
19. I have experienced many losses in my life (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
20. I don't feel that anyone really understands me (strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree).
21. In general, would you say most people can be trusted or you can't be too careful in life?
22. What is your marital status?
23. If you are married, taking all things together, how would you describe your marriage (very happy, pretty happy, not too happy).
24. If you are married, how old were you when you got married.
25. Have you ever been divorced? If so, how old were you when you got divorced.
26. Do you have children? If so, how many?
27. What is your level of education (graduate degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree, some college, HS degree, no HS degree).

I would also like to ask some questions about premarital history/social relationships, economic circumstances, health, psychological issues, drug/alcohol use/abuse, attitude toward divorce, etc.