Running head: Adolescent Interview 1

Alma Ramirez-Rodriguez
Pacific Oaks College
HD 305 Contemporary Urban Adolescents

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Adolescent Interview
Conducting the interview, I decided to administer the interview face to face, although not
an easy thing to do because our schedules did not coincide. However, we managed and it worked
out fine. The purpose for the face to face interview, was to get honest and direct information as
well as perceiving their body language. Body language, is a great method to see if they are
comfortable with the questions that I prepared for them. This being the most appropriate method
to explore the depth of their emotions.
Collecting my data, the adolescents interview was with two females of Mexican decent,
who are in their late teen years. I developed a set of ten questions relating to the topic of
adolescents and families. The participants were made aware that the information disclosed would
be strictly confidential, names changed and most of all their parent would not get a hold of this
paper.
Adolescent number one: Carolina, is eighteen years old, who lives with her parents. The
interview was conducted in the comfort of her own home. I believe this was suitable as it was
something familiar, comfortable and a place she trusted.
I asked Carolina, if she was ready, she nodded while playing with her fingers. She began
to explain how her parents contribution led in forming her identity. Carolina, added that her
parents passion for their culture and roots were expressed ever since she could remember, My
roots and culture assisted in forming my identity and to be true to myself. Another important
aspects that facilitated in shaping her identity began in high school, for example, sports, music,
art and her interest of becoming a teacher.
After expressing her identity, we went into the dynamics of her home. As mentioned, she
lives with both parents and although the relationship between them is rocky she feels the love

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and support from both of them. Her father works to sustain the family while her mother stays at
home making sure her and her siblings are taken care of. She shared how difficult it is to see her
parents live and somewhat communicate but are not affection towards each other. She wonders,
if all relationships are like the same and hopes to be in a relationship different than the
relationship her parents have.
With a smile on her face, she continues to tell me the fun things that they use to do as a
family, in her earlier teen years. As a family they went camping, Friday nights were pizza nights,
My dad would come home Friday with a super large pizza. They all sat in front of the
television, ate and watched boxing. I miss the every Friday routine, now its once in a while
when Im home or when I call him to bring pizza.
We went on to discuss the parenting practices at home. Carolina, shared how her parents
are both disciplinarian and lenient. At home there were rules which had to be followed and
curfews to be met. She remembers, This one time, I was sixteen, I went over a friends house
and had to be home at a certain hour she got home late and had her phone taken away for two
days. I thought I was going to die without my phone. Her parents did not believe in using any
form of physical punishment. Carolina added, how both of her parents got plenty of corporal
punishment and agreed that they would not do the same to their children.
We continued our conversation about bullying, teasing and teen stress. Carolina,
explained that in middle school she was teased for not wearing clothes that were in style. They
gave her a difficult time, her parents, at that time did not have enough money and the little that
they did have was for the necessary things. For example, rent, food and bills. Her grandmother
worked in a clothing factory and this is where she got most of her clothes. In high school, she
stated, It was different, no teasing and no bullying. In high school, she felt the need to search

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her identity or her purpose in life. She began to find her passion for volleyball and the love for
the violin. Volleyball and music class were things she looked forward to. During this time,
Carolina began to feel pressure among her friends to try drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. It felt like
a trial time for her and how she wanted to be a part of the cool crowd. She tried those things and
found no pleasure or enjoyment being under the influence of drugs and alcohol. She was
determined to go into the varsity team and doing those things would have set her back.
During this time, she explained how peer pressures really stressed her out, Its like if we
were competing to be with the cool crowd, big mistake! Other factors that caused her stress in
her earlier years were the constant demands from her parents. Her parents were adamant about
staying in school, completing homework, keeping good grades and her chores around the house.
Other stress demands concluded with coaches and teachers, keeping and participating with the
team as well as meeting deadlines with classwork and participation. What helped her relieve
some stress was playing volleyball and the violin. Now Carolina, stresses about her job and
keeping up with her college work.
My final question to her was how pop media culture/social media have influenced her.
She felt the pressure to look a certain way, dress a certain way and the struggle to be thin, I see
myself now and begin to accept myself for who I am. She feels that the pressure still continues
through commercials on cosmetic surgery and make up but finds no pleasure in meeting those
standards.
Second participant, is nineteen year old named Patricia who also lives at home with her
mother and siblings.

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Patricia and I got together at my house, unlike Carolina who was comfortable talking in
the comfort of her home, Patricia was not. Patricia, shared that she was not feeling well and
asked if we could cut it short. Therefore, her answers were short and to the point.
Patricia, comes from a single parent household. She is the oldest of three, her parents
separated ten years ago. Patricia, expressed that after their separation, she knew nothing of her
father and her mother kept no communication with him. She hardly remembers anything from
her father, he was always distant and non-affectionate. Coming from a single parent household,
Patricia saw the everyday struggles that her mother went through and how demanding and strict
she was. With the help of her mother Patricia was able to form her identity through values,
morals, honesty, and the dedication of hard working, I cant remember a day my mom would
take off because she was tired.
Asking Patricia what were the parenting practices in her household, was something that
made her laugh and caused her to cough at the same time. In her household, there was no room
for negotiation, it was more of what her mother said. What had to be done, was the only way
which was her mothers way. Otherwise there was some sort of corporal punishment involved, I
remember telling my mother No and next thing you know I saw that sandal flying in the air
coming towards me, she had good aim too!
I further went into the dynamics of school. Patricia, is a very tall woman with an average
weight. She shared that others felt intimidated by her and would take advantage of those
qualities, When I was younger, in middle school and in high school, I was the bully she was
mean to girls and had a no care attitude because she was not going to let anyone bully her.
In her later years of high school, Patricia, experienced peer pressure and stressed to look
a certain way and especially to be thin. Being a straight A student, none of the school material

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was stressful, but only stressed that she would not meet the standards of looking like everyone
else. In high school, Patricia was not pressured into drugs or tobacco, In high school we drank
but we werent really into it. She explained that it was for fun and when it was the end of the
semester. Even today is not something that she enjoys doing.
Patricia went on to add the pressures of what social media & pop culture portray. For
example, what to wear, the color of hair, what make up to use, places to go and what kind of car
to drive. She feels that all this is false and doesnt allow a person to be who they are, Social
media steers you into being someone you are not when as an individual we have so much more
be and to give.
This concludes my Adolescent Interview, I enjoyed Interviewing Carolina and Patricia.
Getting the insight of older teens adds more detail to the questions than if I were to interview two
participants in their earlier teens. I noticed some similarities as well as differences between them
both. For Example, they were both faced with the pressures of being thin and looking a certain
way. McNeely and Blanchard explain, A healthy dose of skepticism can help them sift through
the bombardment of messages related to body image, appearance, and attractions and eating that
they encounter in the media, at home and from friends (McNeely and Blanchard, 2009, Pg. 13).
Meeting societys standards is what females are expected to do, but not often can an adolescent
have a healthy dose of what they are exposed to and take it lightly. It is also important in keeping
an open communication that can help assist the dose of healthy development when it comes to
what media exposes on female bodies. Both females also shared that they had very little
communication open between their mothers but as time goes on it seems to get better.
Peer pressure is something that was different among them both. Carolina was pressured
into trying alcohol, drugs and cigarettes while Patricia only drank. The support system among

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friends also counts when confronted with peer pressure. As a whole the support can help them
make better choices, they can listen to each other, trust each other and depend on each other,
when they feel that they cannot do it with their own parents.

These are the questions that I prepared for the interview:

1. How did your parents help you by forming your Identity?
2. Growing up, how was the dynamics in your family? Who worked? How many siblings?
3. How is the relationship between your parents?
4. Do you come from a single family home?
5. What are the parenting practices in your household?
6. Did you experience bullying, teasing or teen stress?
7. As a teenager, what were the things that stressed you out the most?
8. Did you feel the need to resort to drugs, tobacco or alcohol?
9. Were you peer pressured into trying drugs, tobacco or alcohol?
10. How has social media/pop culture media influenced you?

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References
McNeely, C., & Blanchard, J. (2009). The Teen Years Explained: A Guide to Healthy Adolescent
Development. Baltimore, MD: Center for Adolescent Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health.