Assignment 3: Ethnography
GOAL:
This is a short exercise in conducting an inductive, descriptive participant observation.
You will be required to observe at least 30 minutes in a setting/group of your choice. Ideally your choice would be relevant to the topic/RQs you have chosen for this class. But, you can choose to observe any group/setting.
The goal is to look for patterns of behavior and themes in your observations.
METHODOLOGY
You will utilize inductive methodology, where you will ground your theory in the observations themselves.
You must observe for at least 30 minutes.
You will provide a rich qualitative narrative description of your observations via field notes.
You must decide what is the best way to record your observations in the field (e.g., full field notes, jotted notes, cryptic notes, mental notes)? Did you have to develop a strategy for taking notes? Were you able to take notes in the field? Why or why not? Any implications of your choice? Discuss.
You must decide (and discuss) what research role you will take: complete participant, observer as participant, participant as observer, or complete observer. You must also consider and discuss the potential impacts of choosing the role that you do (e.g., ethics and observer effects).
You must consider and discuss any ethics involved in the research, including but not limited to whether or not you disclose your identity as a researcher and the choice of your setting/group in terms of issues like privacy. Remember, the basic tenets of research ethics are informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality, and minimization of harm.
You must discuss choice of setting/group in terms of your prior familiarity. Were you in an insider or outsider role? Did this have implications in terms of your own biases, what you observed, etc.?
You must discuss to what extent (and how/strategies) you were able to remain “invisible” and implications if you didn’t (e.g., issues like the Hawthorne effect).
, ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS
Describe the setting (do not use actual business names or locations), and discuss how the setting affected what and/or how you observed.
Describe the people in the setting (e.g., number, age, race, sex, appearance, etc.).
Based on your “data”, you should discuss patterns/themes that you saw/heard.
Can you generate any theoretical ideas from your observations?
Could you develop any hypotheses that could be used to deductively analyze this topic in the future?
You can use various summary techniques like developing a typology or use of metaphors.
You may use sociograms.
You may use quantitative descriptive enumerations as part of your descriptions.
What to turn in:
1) 4 page paper with the following sections: Intro, Methodology, Ethics, Analysis/Results/Theory
1” margins
Double spaced
Times New Roman 11 font
2) If you cite any sources, you must use proper ASA format for the in-text citations as well as the bibliography.
3) As an appendix to your paper: Your field notes (this “data” should be longer than the body of the actual paper that you write). Types of note should include: cryptic notes and/or jotted notes and full field notes. Your full detailed field notes including: your objective observations, subjective reflections, and analytical notes. Be sure to distinguish your subjective feeling (SR), from your analytical ideas (OC) from your direct observations. Your cryptic/jotted notes may be handwritten, but your full field notes must be typed. THIS APPENDIX IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 4 PAGE LENGTH MENTIONED ABOVE.
