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Your participants have no framework for “ethnographic interview,” so they will likely be mapping this experience onto something more familiar like “having company” (when being interviewed at home) or “giving a demo” (when being interviewed about their work). Sometimes when you visit people in their homes, they will offer you a drink. For years, I resisted taking the drink, trying to minimize the inconvenience I was causing. I was well intentioned but naïve; one time I declined a proffered drink and met an ongoing undercurrent of hostility. The drink offer was made again, so I accepted, and suddenly everything thawed. The issue wasn’t my pursuit or denial of refreshment, it was acknowledging my participant’s social expectations—guests should act like guests. This experience took place in the U.S.; in other parts of the world (say, Japan), these rituals are even more inflexible and failure to adhere to them will likely doom the interview. Be sure that you’re aware of the social expectations in the country in which you conduct your interviews.

In addition to accepting a drink, allow for some small talk as you get settled. But don’t dwell on the chitchat, because your participant may find this confusing.