In my local service, Memoirs of a Pioneer Generation, I have to talk to Elders and find out more about their lives. While the purpose of this service is for me to write about and present the rich histories of elderly people in Singapore, I also have to question the ethics behind what I do in this service.
There are often times where I find it hard to draw a line between what might or might not be okay to ask. Every person is different and has different subjects that they are willing to talk about. As an interviewer, I have to get something a bit deeper than trivial details that could have come from virtually any person in the room. I need to find out what makes the person I’m interviewing unique and different because every single elder has a different history and different memories of varying singnificance.
A challenge that I often face is, “how much can I or should I push?” I have to make my interviewee more comfortable in order to get them out of their shells but I also have to make sure that I don’t needle them as I don’t want to make them feel like I’m exploiting their stories. Therefore, it is very hard to make the most ethical decision as there is a very thin line that I have to tread. The consequences of me pushing too hard could be disastrous as I might unintentionally offend the elders.
However, I believe that with more experience and practice, I will learn how to keep away from certain topics but still get a significant account of their lives.
