Soviet and Post-Soviet Lithuania – Generational Experiences by Laima Zilinskiene Melanie Ilic

Author:Laima Zilinskiene, Melanie Ilic [Laima Zilinskiene, Melanie Ilic]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367902025
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Published: 2021-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

Research design and methods

From 2017 to 2019, 80 life history interviews and two focus groups were conducted with Lithuanians born between 1960 and 1990, with a particular focus on those born in the 1970s and the 1980s. The sample was identified using biographical methods, and interviewees were selected to cover various social and economic characteristics (gender, age, place of residence and educational level). The use of the life histories methodology (Bertaux, 1981; Thompson, 2000) provides scope for the coverage of the events of the respondent’s life course up to the time of the interview. The biographical perspective made it possible to focus on a social actor in a particular social structure during a defined historical period. Interviewers followed Bertaux and Thompson’s (1993) and Miller’s (2000) suggestions for biographical interviewing, enabling the analysis of the socialisation of different generations, their behavioural models, intergenerational relationships, lifestyles and identities.

It was considered important that the project leaders (implementers) themselves undertook the conduct of the life story interviews. The project implementers’ personal experiences of life in Soviet Lithuania were considered to be important, since the collection of life stories covering three generations required knowledge of the historical context and the ability to communicate directly with respondents belonging to different generations. During the project implementation period, 20 life story interviews of those born between 1960 and 1969, 40 life story interviews of those born between 1970 and 1979 and 20 life story interviews of those born between 1980 and 1990 were collected. The study included 48 women and 32 men. The data collection included 39 life stories from people living in towns and villages and 41 life stories from those living in major urban centres. The interviews explored the following topics: the respondent’s life history, household structure, relationships with their parents, siblings and grandparents, family celebrations, cultural environment, politics, religion, leisure activities and migration history. Each interview lasted between one and three hours and followed a common schedule, leaving room for additional questions. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the MAXQDA program.

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