Ethnographic Observation - 2326 Words

Ethnographic Observation TSL 4520 Grading Rubric Background (Milde, R., 2001) Common wisdom tells us that there are, in general, two kinds of writing: creative and expository. Creative writing tells about feelings, opinions, points of view, things that originate inside the writer. Expository essays tell about facts, things outside of the writer. Essays on literature examine a literary text, a thing outside the writer. Lab reports describe experiments with chemicals and other stuff that really exists and can be measured. Research is factual; fiction, poetry, and the personal story are emotional. Wrong. Writing is not that simple. The farther you go in your academic or professional career, the less you are able to simply report what†¦show more content†¦What are its rituals, credos, myths, symbols, taboos, deities/higher powers? What are its origins? How does it tie into/affect/is affected by the politics, law, economy, ethics, history, and gender of the encompassing society? Be aware of ethnocentrism; describe and understand but do not judge. Study what people believe, not whether or not what they believe is true. Guiding question Guiding questions are aimed at the basic point of ethnography: gaining the world view of a group of people. A common format for a guiding questions might be: How do members of a particular group perceive of or understand a certain social or cultural phenomenon? (This is often seen through behavior of some kind.) Thesis statement Your thesis statement should contain a mini-outline of the paper; this outline consists of several sub-claims for which evidence must be provided. How do you know what you claimed to know. Observing and taking notes: It’s best to take notes during the observation. If that is impractical, take notes immediately afterward. Summarizing your memories of an event is not what ethnographic observation calls for (though it’s okay in journalism or memoir). You want to get down detailed, specific, observations, on details such as: * examples of speech (see the warning below about privacy) * clothing * ways of greeting, initiating conversation, beginning and ending an event * body language, gestures * the physicalShow MoreRelatedEthnographic Observation Essay761 Words   |  4 PagesName Date Ethnographic Observation I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a veryRead MoreEthnographic Observation905 Words   |  4 PagesEthnographic Observation I chose to do my Ethnographic Observation at the Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. I chose this location because I thought it would be the best place to observe different behavior and cultures. It is also close to my home, and I had never had a chance to explore it. The Hare Krishna temple is a very interesting location to observe. The grounds are very large, and the temple itself is beautiful. There is a sort of corral next to the templeRead MoreBookstore Cafe Ethnographic Observation Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesTITLE: OBSERVATION AT A POPULAR BOOKSTORE CAFÉ Over the past few years, commercial spaces have become areas for multifunction activities. Along with the availability of gourmet coffee, food, ample seating, and free WIFI bookstore cafes have welcomed a clientele that blends leisure, social and work related activities. In this context, a local popular Barnes and Noble bookstore cafe served as the perfect environment to perform a field observation for this assignment and to explore customerRead MoreEssay about Postmodernism, Deconstructionism, and the Ethnographic Text5376 Words   |  22 Pages Postmodernism, Deconstructionism, and the Ethnographic Text Anthropology 575 Postmodernism nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;In the late 1960’s the social sciences (mainly anthropology and sociology) entered a crisis period in which traditional ways of conducting the study of the Other were re-examined in the context of their association with dominance-submission hierarchies and the objectification of the subjects of study. There was seen to be an association between WesternRead MoreThe Purpose Of This Essay Is To Evaluate The Use Of Observation1485 Words   |  6 Pages The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the use of observation as a method of study within psychology. In order to undertake this evaluation the essay will initially discuss two traditional methods of investigation which are experimentation and observation. Furthermore, it will highlight differences between the two methods. In the second part of the essay, a deeper examination of the observational method itself will be undertaken. Here, examples of research in which the use of the observationalRead MoreData Analysis Method974 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout our observation week we were able to collect vast amount of data both from observations and interviews. In order to let our data speak to us and help us to understand how the collaborative work is conducted between ITB and Royal Danish Library we have adopted grounded theory method as a main data analysis practice to work with. This decision involved summarizing cons and pros of using this approach. According to Glaser, Barney G Strauss (1967), using grounded theory involves developmentRead MoreReflection Of The Loafe Cafe898 Words   |  4 PagesI selected the Loafe Cafe at UBC to study while doing this write up. From previous encounters, I have noticed it to be a very rich and intriguing cafe to become an observer of. There were many compelling observations I made which caused me to realize the amount of connections this course has to everyday life as a student and member of society. In this day and age, our interactions, daily vernacular, and social presence have all been affected and in some ways shaped by media. There was some veryRead MoreThe Saints And The Roughnecks910 Words   |  4 Pagestreatment of the gangs, were sound because his ethnographical work was more than just casual observation and subsequently provided him with ample evidence to analyze. It is first important to define what ethnography is because it is a prominent method that social scientists use in their research (Roy, lecture 4). Professor Roy defines ethnography as looking at culture – a methodological skill of observation in a natural setting. Chambliss was able to do this with his qualitative research at HanibalRead MoreGraduation Speech : Students Cultural Diversity1713 Words   |  7 Pagesset my sights to analyzing how teachers address the students’ cultural diversity in their classroom. My observations took place at a private Quaker school situated in an urban setting in the Philadelphia area. The school is committed to seeking truth, challenging the students’ intellect, honoring differences, embracing the city, and nurturing each student’s mind, body and spirit. The observations were conducted in an early childhood education program in the classroom at their school. I was able toRead MoreBeyond Awareness : Preparing Culturally Responsive1662 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment school (PDS) to describe their diverse community in which their teaching methods were being delivered. They were then required to write â€Å"observation field notes† (Lenski, Crumpler, Stallworth Crawford, 2005) and â€Å"reflections of the sites within the community† (Lenski et. al., 2005). They met in a study group to discuss their observations and reflections. Finally they were required to write a final paper that summarized their findings. The participants of this project were thirty-four