For this journal assignment, you will need to pick a place that feels at least somewhat bureaucratic to you. Then, go spend at least 20-30 minutes actually IN that place, conducting your fieldwork observations. Don’t rely on memory, but take time to do your observations THIS week, with ideas from our chapter in mind. Review the chapter on methods if you need to remind yourself about fieldwork observation.
Our ppt lecture gives different options for you to complete your observations (some from inside your home, some outside, some in place you might already be this week)–contact me if you have any concerns or questions about places to observe.
If you can, jot down some notes while you conduct your observations. Then, based on what you observed, answer the following questions:
Explain what bureaucracy is, drawing on our text. What are the main characteristics of a bureaucracy? Try to get this into your own words, rather than just copying what’s in our text (although you should still cite when drawing on key ideas from the text).
Identify the place or system you observed, and describe it in thick, rich detail. Tell me what it looks like, how big or small it is, how it’s organized, and what it’s for. Who uses the space, and how? How do people act there? How do they interact with each other?
Explain how bureaucracy is embedded in that place, using at least 2-3 aspects of bureaucracy that you can see in this setting. Be sure to use Chapter 6 to support your points here.
What positive consequences of bureaucracy do you see in this place? What negative consequences of bureaucracy do you see there? Did you notice any dysfunctions of bureaucracy?
Now that you’ve observed and analyzed THIS place, how can you see your observations about bureaucracy here applying to a DIFFERENT place you deal with on a regular basis?
Again, if you have questions about any topics we’ve covered in this module, please share them here.
REMINDERS:
For each question, answer in at least a paragraph or two. Your whole journal should be at least a page long.
Journals must include in-text citations and end references using either ASA format, or another citation style with which you’re already familiar (APA, Chicago, etc.).
