Interview assignment

'How do people accumulate stuff' is the question I chose for assignment 4. I asked nine questions about where people shop, what they keep for certain periods of time and which items they collect. I also asked about holidays and what people bring back from different types of holidays because I know that a lot of the stuff in my room is from family 'cultural' day trips and holidays.

Firstly I asked Jacqui. Jacqui shops mainly in retail shops, buys on trend clothes, which she does not keep for a very long time and buys new clothes quite often. Her last holiday was with friends in Ibiza. She brought back a jumper but no sentimental items. However Jacqui does keep some things. She collected 'me to you' bears when she was younger and still has them as well as 'cherish' teddys and 5-pound coins from when she was born. Finally I asked if she had any items that she thought she would keep forever and she told me that she will keep her Grandmothers jewellery forever and has it safely hidden away.

I think Jacqui is quite a sentimental person but definately not a hoarder! She holds on to a few items that are emotionally attatched to her or have a high value.

Heather was the next person that I interviewed. She told me that she shops in a mixture of places: chain stores, boutiques and antique shops. She likes 'cosy' shops. Heather comes across as quite a homely, sentimental person. Her last holiday was in America with her family where they went to Orlanda. Though she brought back a lot of clothes she also brought back 3000 photographs, park maps, brochures and tickets. Heather says that she collects 'pretty things' like old bottles and shoes. She has a memory box full of pictures, cards and impressions of hands and feet. She also has lots of childrens toys from when she was younger, though she gave some of them to family members with children. They items she said she would keep forever are pictures of her grandparents and parents.

Heather appears to accumulate stuff at quite a high rate! She holds on to lots of items for the memories attatched to them.

Finally I interviewed Mhairi. Mhairi normally shops in retail and charity shops. Her favourite scarf is from a charity shop and was £2. She mostly spends her money on comfortable clothes but trys to update her old wardrobe with the new things she buys. Her latest holiday was to Zanti with friends. She brought back small gifts but it was really more of a party holiday. She collects 'junk', china and teapots. Quite a few people have given her tea cups and pots and her boyfriend gave her a teapot necklace for Christmas, which is one of the items she says she will keep forever, the other being her grandmothers jewellery.

I think this interview has shown differences between different people and their habits. I think it has shown that some people hold onto memories and emotions through items and others don't as much.

I don't really know what to take from this assignment, but it was a very interesting and slightly scary first attempt at interviewing.