“Rainy Days Work Best for Us”: Lessons from Home-Based Family Interviews

In the spring of 2012 we carried out an interview study with thirteen families who live and work on small organic farms. The purpose of the study was to expand the design space for family technologies. However, we found that interviewing a unique demographic also expanded the methodological space for family studies. Based on the challenges we faced in studying farm families, we draw four lessons that can extend beyond the farm to other families in diverse situations. First, we suggest paying attention to the family's unique temporal rhythms: growth, seasons, school calendars, work schedules, etc. Second, we propose ways to deal with dynamic interviews when family members come and go, such as dedicating resources to capture a fuller picture of the dynamic environment. Third, we emphasize hearing everyone's voices to see various perspectives of the family members. Fourth, we remind that family life involves conflicts and emotions that might emerge during a study and that the researchers must face.