RESEARCH QUESTIONS
VALUE
Personal standards / expectations / goals. Is your work important to you? Do you like/dislike your job? Why? What meaning does your work give your life? What does your work mean to you? In what ways does your work contribute to positive / negative things in your life? What expectations do you have for yourself and your career? How does your work contribute to your sense of self? What aspirations do you have for the future?
What does it mean to feel productive at work? Good/bad examples of this? What helps you feel productive at work? How does it feel to be productive? Can you give examples of a 'un/productive' day?
AFFECT
Do you get tired in the day? Do you need rest? Are you able to rest? When do you get to rest etc?
What does it feel like to be stressed at work? Where in the body (body maps) do you feel it in your body?
Pace, rhythms, fast, slow, rushed for time, too much time, over-time etc - time management / how do you manage your time at work? Does your office use time saving techniques? Do they work? Do you feel pushed for time? Do you work overtime? How do you manage your time?
How does your work impact your private/social/home life? Do you find it easy to 'switch off' etc. Do you feel you have balance in your life? What are the +ve/-ve effects of this? What do you like to do in your free time? how do you / can you create balance in your life?Does who you are at work influence who you are outside of it?How does it affect your family life / plans for family / childcare / motherhood etc / material circumstances etc
GENDER
do you feel different expectations on yourself in comparison to other workers? how /when /why etc Do you feel you are treated fairly at work? How do you feel your performance is judged in relation to male colleagues? Do they get more opportunities than you? How are men treated at your work?
EXPERIENCE
Physicality of workspace (noise, smells, lighting, technological affordances etc)
Labour geography, commute, praxis, WFH (choice or not / like or dislike) WFH - do you like it? Why / why not? what do you think was better/worse then/now? How do you work -hybrid/remote/in person - why?
Does your office have procedures / protocols / targets etc - how do these effect your work
Fair promotions / pay / hierarchies - your experiences of this
How is relationship with manager or coworkers?
What does it feel like to be driven at work? How do you imagine your tasks ahead for the day / week / month / year, what do you say to motivate yourself, encourage yourself? Do you ever lapse into negative self talk when you perceive your performance to be bad? What is this like? [Also - include how I feel, react, physically and emotionally ingest my own work / what practices, affects, rhythms it takes]
Do workers experience the gaze of a non-substantial "Big" Other? (Salecl; Lacan)? Survieillance / as if others are watching you
Do you get praised at work? Told off? Is this similar across the board? Do you feel a pressure to be perfect, never slip up, etc? What sort of rewards do you get for your efforts? Are these fair / suitable?
Does your experience of your work match up to your expectations (when you were a child / a student / etc) of what you thought it would be like? If not/ so, how? why?
Can you talk about the pressures you feel at work? What areas do you feel pressured in? How does it feel? Does anything relieve it? Does anything make it worse? Do you feel the demands on you at work are fair / realistic?
Do you think your job/career has contributed to your illness? How does your work affect your condition? Are there triggers / flare ups? How did you connect your condition to your work? What else do you think contributes to your condition?
How does your condition affect your work? Are you able to work less / sick days, how has this impacted your career at large? Do you experience discrimination? Do you feel your boss/team/collegues understand? Are you able to share details of your condition to your work or do you keep it a secret? Have you had to change jobs / expectations etc?
Is it important to you to have a routine? Are you able to establish one? Are you in control? Do you feel in control of your time, tasks, deadlines? Do you have to report to someone else? What is that process like? How does it feel?
Do you feel your gender affects how you are treated at work? Something around cumulative stress, shocks, relentlessness, volume of 'attacks' / do you have equal / too much / too little responsibility / an over inflated sense of responsibility? 'Carrying the load'
Do you feel active or passive in your role? Why?
how do you think your work affects your body?
When do you feel you are doing well? What gives you a sense of achievement / success / 'bossing' it?
Can you talk about feeling guilty / ashamed / embarrassed at work?
Are there things you wish were different about your job? What would you change if you could? what are your favourite / least favourite things about it?
Disposition at work - what do you wear? How do you carry yourself? Are you aware of your appearance? Does your appearance matter at work?
Does your body give you physical signals during your working day, i.e. feeling stressed / tense / happy / fulfilled / productive - how are these states affected by your work and how does this, in turn, affect your body?