Assignment #2 – Personal Ethnography Essay
A Few Words on Ethnography:
For This Project:
You will chose an essay in the book A Darker Wilderness to discuss your relationship with nature and the environment. You can compare and /or contrast your experiences in nature. You can use an essay from the book to illustrate the author’s relationship in relation to your own relationship.
Please think outside the box ( like the authors in our book) to write your paper. It can be something as simple as a trip to the park, a school trip to the planetarium or space museum or a family trip to Yellowstone national park. Maybe it’s spending time in the yard or a cabin. Maybe it’s a fear of mosquitoes or the water. Please be creative.
The Research-
Now the research part. Once you’ve chosen what you want to focus on, start researching. If it’s a family trip to Yellowstone, your research should include the history of Yellowstone, when it was founded and by who and why. Give us a couple of paragraphs about the more interesting history of the place etc.. you get the idea.
If your focus is your backyard research your favorite flowers or trees in that yard. Maybe look for your house on the mappingprejudice.umn.edu, this will give you a different type of history that you can discuss in relation to your paper topic.
Follow these instructions for the other suggestions as long as it applies.
Position yourself as an outsider looking in and ask these key questions: What goes on here? How is it enjoyed? Why is the natural world important? How is humanity a part of the natural world?
The answer to these questions will form your thesis statement and the structure of your paper.
Steps You Will Take:
Existing Research (Secondary Sources): Existing data about your chosen place ie. your nature reserve / area / park / cabin, rest area already published and analyzed by researchers is important for helping you generate ideas and questions to explore further in your research. These can include publications, lore, statistical data, records, etc.
Your Research (Primary Source):
Observe your site at least one time for one hour. During this time, you are required to take field notes – observations made as you look, interview, and collect data. Also record your feelings about what you see, hear, and experience. Pay attention to details – sights, smells, etc. Take careful notice of language and jargon used. You also may want to sketch diagrams or take pictures of the spaces you are talking about. Since most of you have phones, I am requiring that you take at least three pictures and incorporate these into your final project. You will also attach your field notes.
There is no one “correct” way to approach composing this essay, I recommend that you follow the following structure:
Introduction: What is your topic/research objective? Why did you choose this topic? What do you hope to learn? What is the relevance of this inquiry? You may include secondary sources in this section.
Assumptions & Early Hypotheses: How did you feel about beginning your research? What assumptions did you make about this site, culture, or group? What does existing research say about this topic? Based on what you’ve read, what do you assume/predict to find out? You must include secondary sources in this section.
Methodology: What methods did you take in pursuing this inquiry? What was your process for gathering information? How did you make observations? Where did you go? What did you notice? Who did you speak with? Did you conduct formal/informal interviews? What did you photograph?
Data Analysis: Here is where you analyze and make sense of your observations and all of the information you collected. What is significant about your observations? How did the interviews give you insight into your research? How did the data contribute to your understanding of this topic? Are they to some extent aligned with the research that you read? Were you surprised by any discoveries?
Conclusion: Ultimately, what were your findings? Do any of your questions or thoughts remain unclear? Would deeper examination on this topic be relevant? If so, why?
Requirements:
A cover page that includes a title, your name, my name, the course name, and the date. MLA format: Times New Roman, font size 12, with one-inch margins on all sides and double-spaced. Include section titles (introduction, methodology, conclusion, etc.) aligned left, in bolded font.
Include at least 3 outside sources in your introduction and/or assumptions/early hypotheses sections. Make sure to include a works cited page at the end.
Include 2-4 photographs from your observations and/or your research process. It is up to you whether you would like to place the photographs within and throughout the essay or attach them all at the end. Include a short caption describing each photograph.
Include your field notes, attached at the very end as well.
Your essay should consist of approximately 10 -12 typed pages. This includes the cover page, the works cited page, the photographs, or the field notes.
