Formatting- Length: 700-1000 words, Font: Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double spaced
Due: Blackboard 7/22
In this assignment, you will conduct a mini field study of an event or place. This can include anything from attending an event, observing people in a park or local pub, observing people at a business or place of work, or observing an activity. Before you go into the event I want you to develop one research question that you have about your event/activity/place/group. You will then conduct an ethnographic mini field study of your selected event/activity/place/people, which will involve either passive or participant observation (see below for details). You will attend the event in person and record your personal observations. I would like you to spend around 3 hours total at your field site.
Then write a summary of your experience and observations. Also, be sure to include what you found out about your research question.
Guidelines
1. Choosing a Site
The site may be formal (an office or business), or informal (a skatepark or bar), as long as it involves individuals engaged in some form of communicative activity. Do not use any recording devices other than a pen and paper (or other text-based device) as this could infringe on people's privacy rights or copyright laws. Pictures or drawn maps of the scene could be helpful, but again, be mindful of other’s privacy.
2. Approaching the Site
You will not be required to secure the consent of the other people present during your field study. However, you should approach this task in a spirit of caring and respect for the people who are attending and otherwise participating in the event you ultimately select for observation. At a minimum, you want to be sure that no one feels threatened or harmed as a result of your presence. Avoid zeroing in on a particular person for more than a couple of minutes and don't invade anyone's "personal space". Be discreet and focus your attention on generalities, overall impressions, and the formal characteristics of the event/place/group itself. If anyone asks you what you're doing, just be honest! You have every right to make notes and write about your personal experiences and observations.
3. Methods
There are two major ways that you can collect your data:
- Passive observation of events, activities and participants: Go to the event/place/activity, sit at the back or somewhere out of the way, and watch the event (and its participants) unfold.
- Participant observation (of events, activities and other participants): Go to the event and take part directly in the sport/game/activity. Experience firsthand what it means to be a part of the community.
You may choose one or a combination of methods, as long as your primary method is observation (passive or participant). The methods you use should be appropriate to the particular event selected and to what you hope to learn. Whatever method you use, it is important to take good field notes either during or immediately after your visit to document your observations.
Here are some things to keep in mind for your while you conduct your field study:
· Who are the actors? Do they formal or informal roles? How do they communicate?
· What is the layout of the scene? Draw maps or notice how the space you are in is set up to facilitate (or not) communication.
· Notice initial interactions from actors. This could be to you or two other actors in the scene.
· Where and when do interactions take place?
· Which events do you think are significant?
4. Goal
You will only be attending your site for a few hours, so your goal is to get an impression of your field site, enough to do a brief analysis. You don’t have to become an expert, rather, I want you to satiate your curiosity about some place or social phenomena.
