INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

teacher, a care mother, a social worker, older children who have resided at the center for
a long amount of time, children who are newer to the center, and younger children.
Depending on how old the interviewee was, and on how comfortable they
appeared, my interviews lasted anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes long. These interviews
were frequently interrupted, however, which made it difficult to measure the overall
amount of time committed specifically to the asking and answering of questions. I used
shorthand inscriptions to take notes during interviews, but only as much as was necessary
to ensure I would remember everything mentioned. I wanted to avoid excessive formality
that might have resulted in the interviewees becoming more inhibited with their answers.
I later stored my notes on my password-protected computer so I could later incorporate
them into my finished research product. In total, I interviewed 40 persons including staff
members, children, and other associated individuals. The numerical breakdown of
interviews is given in the following table:
Interviewee
Number
Administration 3
Other Staff 6
Children (Age 5-8) 8
Children (Age 9-12) 7
Children (Age 13-20) 7
Former Residents, Now Grown 4
Board of Directors Members 3
Volunteers 2
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