Methodological Appendix: Interview Schedule

Opportunity Structures

Orienting remarks: This first section asks about some of the different opportunities available to youth in communities like your own. Some experiences may be more familiar than others. Please answer the questions the best you can.

Methodological utility: By placing this section first, I hope to get youth thinking about the connection between time and opportunity structures.

1. Are you familiar with the notion of the “fast life”? Prompt: Provide explanation if youth are unfamiliar with the term.
1. a. If so, how do you define it? Examples of the fast life may include selling drugs, selling illegal products (e.g., bootlegging), or earning money in an illegitimate way.
2. b. If not, are you familiar with the term “trapping”? What does it mean to you?
3. c. Are there particular hours people live the fast life?
2. What type of kids your age usually live the “fast life”?
3. For girls/femmes: Do you ever hear people talk about girls who are “in the life”? Prompt: Provide explanation if they are unfamiliar with the term.
1. a. What does this mean?
4. What types of kids your age tend to get caught up in “the life”?
5. What is the easiest way someone your age can earn money in your community?
6. What is the fastest way someone your age can earn money in your community?
7. How do you differentiate between “easy” money and “fast” money?
8. Have you ever lived the “fast life”?
1. a. If yes, are you still living the “fast life”?
2. b. If yes, while living the fast life, do your thoughts about time change at all? If so, how?
3. c. If no, how do people living the “fast life” think about time?
9. Have you ever been “in the life”?
1. a.Are you still “in the life”? While being “in the life,” do your thoughts about time change at all? If so, how?
2. b. If no, how do people who are “in the life” think about time?

There’s also ways people earn legitimate money. This next section asks about people’s experiences trying to follow a legit route to success.

10. On average, how long do you think it takes someone your age to find a job in your community? Does this seem like a long time?
11. How long do you think it takes to complete college?

Perceptions of Time

Orienting remarks: So we’ve talked a little bit about what it means to “live fast.” This section focuses more on the pace of your own life. Most of the questions are related to your perceptions of time. I ask specific questions about the way you organize your time based on daily responsibilities. Please focus more on your experiences outside of the program.

Methodological utility: Explore the extent to which youth construct their own temporalities in relation to institutionalized notions of time. I expect some responses to reflect some efforts to subvert conventional notions of time that do not reflect the lived experiences of youth of color in urbanized space.

1. People describe time in a variety of ways. For example “time on my hands,” “killing time,” “buy time,” “time is money,” “the luxury of time,” “take your time,” “time flies when you’re having fun,” “time waits for no one,” “the race against time,” and/or “time is of the essence.” Which of these expressions are most familiar to you? Do you identify with any one in particular? Why? Do you not identify with any of these expressions of time?
2. Can you describe how you think about the future? For example, are you someone that tends to think only for the moment or the now, rather than consider what is yet to come?
3. What do you see in your future? Struggle? Easy street?

Certain groups have their own cultural notions of time. For example, Black people/African Americans living in this country jokingly refer to their own notions of time as “CP Time” or “CPT.”

4. Are you familiar with the concept of “CP Time” or “CPT” or “Black People’s Time”?
1. a.If so, how do you understand it? Prompt: Provide explanation, if they are unfamiliar with the term.
2. b. What purpose does CP Time serve? Why do you think it exists?
3. c. Are you familiar with similar notions of time within your own racial/ethnic group(s)?
5. Describe your relationship to time. Positive? Negative? Why?
6. Does time only move forward?
7. Do you follow CP Time?
8. Do you consider yourself to be someone that has a personal schedule? On average (when not in the program), what does your daily schedule consist of/look like?

Sometimes certain circumstances make it hard to get things done on time. This next series of questions explore different ways you cope with the pressures of time.

9. How do you use time? Do you ever consider yourself to be used by time? If so, how?
1. a. Prompt: Wasting time or wisely using time?
10. Consider your experiences in your community, at school, at Run-a-Way. Who or what usually controls your time? When do you feel you are in control of your time?
11. How do people show respect for your time? How do people show a lack of respect for your time?
12. In what situations do you feel you are racing against time?
13. In what situations or contexts does time matter most to you? When do you make the most of your time?
14. How do you define lateness?
15. How important is it for you to be on time?
16. In your opinion, what causes people to be late?
17. In general, how often do you get to places on time? If you don’t get to places on time, what prevents you from doing so?
18. How do you usually go about completing daily tasks? Weekly tasks? What sorts of things prevent you from completing your tasks on time?
19. When you think about what you have to accomplish every day, do you feel you have more or less time than your white peers?
20. What are some things that you feel consume your time, but not that of white youth?
1. a. For girls of color in relation to boys of color.
2. b. For girls of color in relation to white girls.
3. c. For Black girls in relation to non-Black girls.
21.How much harder do you feel you have to work compared to your white counterparts to achieve similar goals?
1. a. How is your time constrained based on how much harder you have to work? Do you feel you have half the time to accomplish what more privileged youth do?
22. Does time move quicker for white youth or youth of color? Why?

Race, Racialization, and Racism

Orienting remarks: So we talked a little bit about the way certain racial/ethnic groups develop their own conceptions of time. This next set of questions focuses on particular experiences familiar to people of color that interfere with their personal schedules.

Methodological utility: This section is meant to explore the extent to which racism and racialization are in and of themselves time-consuming processes. It is also an opportunity to explore how one’s awareness of racism and other forms of structural inequality condition youth temporality in relation to life chances.

1. Do you feel targeted by others based on your race?
2. How does being a target of racism impact your day-to-day functioning?
1. a. Prompt: How are you fazed by this?
3. How do you interact with white people in positions of authority?
4. In your opinion, how important are events of the past? Cultural past?
5. Do you think about racism? If so, how often?
6. How often do you do something about racism?
7. How do you expect to be treated by employees of:
1. a. convenience stores?
2. b. major department stores?
3. c. social service agencies (e.g., the Run-a-Way, [names of similar youth programs inserted here], etc.)
4. d. state agencies (Child Protection Services, juvenile court, food assistance, etc.)
8. Who usually gets placed in the “slow” (remedial) classes in your school?
9. Have you ever been arrested? If so, why were you arrested? What were the charges?
10. Have you ever been locked up (in jail or prison)? If so, why were you locked up?
11. How do you cope with the possibility that you may be unfairly targeted by police?
12.How do you cope with the possibility that you may be harmed or killed by police?
13. When people talk about your community, how do they usually describe it? Up to date/new or old/backwards/behind time/slow/run down?
14. How do you think white people view you in relation to time (e.g., backwards, slow, quick thinker)?
15. How do you view the relationship between white people and time? “Up to the times, up on the latest fashions” or “slow and played out”?

Developmental Deadlines

Orienting remarks: Having to think about your own mortality or death may make people think more seriously about what they would like to accomplish before they die. This next set of questions asks about particular life experiences and the age at which you think people should achieve them.

Methodological utility: The purpose of this section is to establish a better understanding of how future orientations are temporally structured.

1. Around what age do you think people should have children?
2. Around what age do you think people should get married?
3. If you had a choice, what would be the minimum age at which you would allow children to start working?

Life Expectancy

Orienting remarks: This final section contains questions about your own life expectancy.

Methodological utility: The purpose of this section is to explore the accuracy of claims that youth of color living in urbanized space are present-oriented and incapable of thinking about the future and long-term implications of their actions.

1. What would you like to be doing 5 years from now?
1. a. How will you work towards this goal?
2. How long do you expect to live?
1. If age is under 30, why do you expect to die at this age?
  1. a. How does the thought of dying at this age shape your understanding of time?
3.What type of things would you like to accomplish as you grow into adulthood? Do you feel you have time to do these things? Why or why not?
4. What gives you hope?

Date ___________
Interview # ______

Demographics

I’d like to ask you a few questions about your background. This information will help me better understand your perspectives on time. This brief questionnaire is also voluntary, and you can skip any questions you don’t feel comfortable answering. If you have any questions while answering, please feel free to ask the researcher. When you are finished, please give this sheet to the researcher.

1. Age in years ______
2. Gender ___________ Pronouns ___________
3. Sexual orientation ______________________________________________________________________
4. What racial/ethnic group or groups do you and your family identify with being a member of? (Please list as many as you feel are important to who you are.)
5. Enrolled in school? Please circle one of the following responses: Yes or No
1. a. If you answered no, you have completed this questionnaire.
6. What is your grade in school? _____________
7. Do you receive free or reduced lunch? Please circle one: Yes or No
8. What school do you go to?
9. What is your zip code?

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Notes