The privilege of asking questions
And what that means for UX researchers
I think about privilege a lot. I’m guessing it’s safe to say that many of us do: the expression to “check one’s privilege” has shaped a lot of public discourse over the past few years, and not without controversy.
I often find myself going back to a story a friend of mine told me several years ago. We were chatting about privilege (at a bachelorette party, no less), when she mentioned that it had come up during a university class she was teaching. A student raised his hand to make the case that, as far as he was aware, he had no privileges to speak of. Her response was that those who are not aware of their own privilege are the most privileged of all.
That story really struck a chord with me. And it seems like she was really onto something, as a quick Wikipedia search will yield this interesting little tidbit:
Some academics highlight a pattern where those who benefit from a type of privilege are unwilling to acknowledge it.
So I think of the personal privileges I’m aware of, and worry about the ones I’m not. I particularly think a lot about what that means within the context of my work. As a UX researcher, I’m in a position where talking to people is probably my most valuable source of insight. In order to do this effectively, to really connect with people, to help them open up and share their stories, I ask questions. Actually, I get to ask questions. Lots of them. And therein lies the privilege.
In his book on the power of inquiry, A more beautiful question, Warren Berger questions how social structures play a large role in our approach, and even ability, to ask questions. Quoting a study by Indiana University sociologist Jessica McCory Calarco, Warren states that:
[S]tudents from families with higher incomes were more likely to be encouraged by their parents to ask questions at school, whereas children from modest backgrounds were encouraged by their parents to be more deferential to authority — and to try to figure things out for themselves, instead of asking for help.
Worried that they may be perceived as ‘less smart’ or even get in trouble for asking, students in the latter group thought it safer not to ask. And if you think about the social status of the two groups described in Calarco’s study, it becomes apparent that questioning and privilege are inherently related. But the way I look at it, it’s not just that certain privileges give you the predisposition to be comfortable with asking questions. Rather, it’s that to ask questions is a privilege.
So what does this mean for those of us who’ve made careers out of asking questions? What responsibilities do we hold towards those to whom we pose those questions? And towards the answers they offer in return? How do we check this privilege?
As I question the concept of questioning, I’ve attempted to find some answers by unpacking my experiences into some insights that are by no means exhaustive.
Be aware of the implicit power structure.
Just the act of asking someone to put aside time so you can ask them questions (the very basis structure of an interview) is establishing a power structure. You’re implicitly leading a situation, you have the upper hand. This structure may be unspoken, but it exists: from the interviewee’s perspective, you are the expert who likely possesses vast knowledge on the subject you plan to discuss. The reality though, is that you’ve set up the interview to learn from them, that you view them as the expert (and if that’s not the case, you might want to reconsider the purpose of your interview). Being aware of this allows you to shift those presumed roles, and and let your interviewee occupy the rightful role of expert.
Embrace your participant’s worldview.
In Interviewing Users, Steve Portigal stresses the importance of mirroring your participant’s language, embracing their worldview, and refraining from presuming that they share yours. This isn’t just a matter of making your interviewee comfortable: it goes back to the idea of setting up an environment that shifts the power balance back into your interviewee’s favor. Doing this allows them to open up, and helps you gain far more in the end.
Treat every opportunity to ask questions like it’s your last.
Someone has agreed to take time out of their day to speak with you, to partake in a process that, as far as they’re concerned, benefits you far more than it does them. This is an incredible opportunity. Every. Single. Time. It doesn’t matter if you’ve spoke to multiple people about this subject, you still need to treat each interview with the respect and care it deserves. Let your interviewee know this or, better yet, help them feel it: that the time and knowledge they contribute to your work truly matters.
And so it’s with real privilege and awareness that I ask: what would you add to this list?’
