Daniel Burt

12/14/15
ANTH 1010
Ethnography
For my Ethnographic Service Learning project I conducted my service hours though an
organization called TURN based in Salt Lake City, Utah. TURN is an organization that works
with individuals with disabilities. TURN has many residencies mostly consisting of small homes
and apartments where they provide disabled individuals with a place to call home. A place where
they also have the proper assistance and supervision they need based on the severity of the
disability and independence of the individual. Some of the clients with TURN are independent
enough to have jobs and need less physical assistance and supervision. For other clients who are
less independent or who cannot work, TURN provides other resources such as their Day
programs. The day programs provide a community setting where these individuals can creatively
express themselves and socialize with others as well as work with them on group projects. The
day program is where I conducted all of my service. The day program is held in a large building
in downtown Salt Lake which is shared with other companies. During regular Monday to Friday
work schedule, art, music, and dance, classes. Classes offered are not rigid, meaning volunteers
who have a specific skill that qualifies can volunteer to teach their own classes. On my last day
of service, a new volunteer who was a also a certified yoga instructor came in for a session. This
was an enjoyable day because it was the only day of service I had that wasnt an art class.
Because of this I was able to see the community I served from a new angle. I would have
coordinated my hours in such a way that I was able to meet more of the clients and partake in a
wider array of activities that the day program has to offer if my schedule would have permitted.

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12/14/15
ANTH 1010
When I first learned of the service project for this class I felt excited because I always
enjoy classes more when I can have some sort of in field experience. I was also excited because
this was my first fully online classes and the service hours provided a physical aspect for the
course. There were other aspects of the project that gave me anxiety like the fact that I only took
an online class in order to go on a family vacation and not have attendance issues. I was out of
Town the first couple weeks of the semester for a family vacation and missed the first couple of
deadlines for the service hours and tried contacting a Hospice care organization and received no
replies, I later learned that there was some outdated contact information on the list. So by the
time I got home, I was suppose to be conducting service with a organization that I still had not
confirmed, chosen or got in contact with. In the long run, these issues were minor because TURN
was the first organization I tried to contact when I got home and I received swift reply and was
able to confirm and start my service hours. I also had anxieties similar to the ones I felt when I
was starting a new job, or going to my first day of school. It was intimidating because I had little
exposure to an environment like the one at the day program and didnt know what to expect.
Being a musician gave me some initial confidence because they have music room and offer
music classes (I never got the opportunity to teach or assist teach any music class) and I have
teaching experience. All of my insecurities and intimidations in regards to this commitment of
completing volunteer hours were soon eliminated when I was accepted by many of the clients
and staff with open arms the moment I walked through the door and they continued to make me
feel welcome throughout my service.
When keeping an ethnographic journal through time spent interacting with a certain
group, you recognize that you are only an observer and you set aside your own beliefs,

Daniel Burt
12/14/15
ANTH 1010
assumptions, and expose yourself to another, even if its only temporary. Though you are an
outsider looking in, the experiences are still deeply personal and can enable connections and
relationships to develop and blossom through time. My time spend at TURN is the first
experience I have spending time with a culture specifically to observe and learn about them. I
spent a total of 9 hours spread through the semester volunteering at TURN. Most of my hours
fell on Tuesday mornings during the art class and because of this, my exposure to this culture
was limited because I only ever witnessed a single activity. If I could have diversified my time I
would have had more exposure to the lives of these individuals. In this class I got to know couple
of the clients particularly well and we got along well together. I learned that their disabilities
cause them to live dramatically different lives then the ones I and most everyone I associate with
are accustomed to, they still have great and diverse personalities. They also share core needs and
desires of the cultures I am accustomed to.
Looking back on my service I realize that aspects of my methods and performance did
not reach there full potential. Whether its in a volunteer session for a college course or an
interaction had with a friend in the recent past. We all see, hear, and say a lot more then we retain
and take with us in memory. I felt optimistic about exploring different ethnographic field work
methods before my service. Things changed a little bit after my first session when I got a feel for
what my environment would be like. The art classes where I conducted my hours was very small
and I usually worked one on one with a client and didnt feel comfortable pulling out a note pad
and jotting down notes. I felt like I would come across to the clients and the staff as detached if I
made it about my school work. I realized later that I let myself get stuck in a loop of my own
insecurities about taking research notes in the field when in all reality, I could have easily found

Daniel Burt
12/14/15
ANTH 1010
multiple ways to record my research while still maintaining the persona I wanted to. During my
sessions I made mental notes of events and individuals, then would do a quick jot when I got to
my car afterwards. Out of my 9 sessions, I only conducted post note taking four times. I
remember much more about my time and have a lot more to wright about because of the sessions
where I took notes. Though I felt physical research and recording of my experience was an area
where my performance lacked the most, I feel like it is the aspect of the project that I learned the
most from. All of this aside, I still learned a lot about this culture. The individuals at TURN all
have unique personalities and skills. John, for example is interested in pubic speaking. When I
was at the tail end of my service at TURN, John was working on a speech regarding making
educated decisions when it comes to choosing care providers. Katie, is a truly gifted artist. One
session, we were all talking turns looking through a pop art book from the 1970s and Katie drew
pictures from the book that were impeccable. Katie is also gifted with clay sculpting. Some of
the clients that are regularly at the day program also have permanent residence through TURN
while others still live with their families or another care giver and TURN is providing temporary
relief in the care of the client. This being said, clients come from different economic
backgrounds that are determined by the economic positions of their primary caregivers. When
clients are in the day programs these differences are not apparent and do not dictate any aspect of
the classes. One interesting aspect I noticed about this culture is the fact that they are much less
concerned with money and material goods then I and many of the people I know are and maybe
that factors into the other aspect I noticed and that is that fact that these individuals are at a
severe social disadvantage but they still maintain positivity.

Daniel Burt
12/14/15
ANTH 1010
The language spoken in this group very unique. Some of the individuals have specific
items or ideas that they love to share and talk about (sometimes repeatedly), while others are
ready at a moments notice to laugh and joke around. Others express very clearly what they want
and can be very particular. These individuals also communicate with their own individual styles.
John loves hair metal and rarely is seen not wearing his Valen Halen beanie. Another John loves
wearing ripped shirts. Communication is also altered by the physical disabilities of the
individuals and is also facilitated by the staff and volunteers when need be. The social
stratification is determined by the needs of the clients as well as the level of responsibility of the
staff members. Katie, the project coordinator is in charge of the day to day business of the day
program such as scheduling art classes, payroll, and coordinating volunteer work. Katie is in
charge but she does not have higher stratification because her main concern is the wellbeing of
the clients and her job is to accommodate their needs. Katie also, oversees the direct support
professionals who are employed to assist the day to day needs of the clients at the day program.
My experience at TURN was a great additions to add to my time spend at Salt Lake
Community College. I was able to make a couple of new friends and make some new networking
contacts that I wouldnt have otherwise made. I also learned about recognizing ethnocentrism in
myself and in the world around me and how to pick out its inherent pros and cons. I learned
about my own ethnocentric tendencies. I had an experience with one of the individuals I served
named John, John is severely disabled and needs assistance performing most of the tasks in his
life. Sometimes when I would talk to him I realized that part of me felt angry because he has
such a difficult time saying what he wants to say. Johns disability caused me to wonder why
conditions such as these exists? why would anyone be dealt such an awful hand? I compared his

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12/14/15
ANTH 1010
life to mine in every aspect. John can not do the things I can. He cant work, travel, eat, go to the
bathroom, bath, without help. Its hard to explain these feelings and they can be hard for me to
help on some days. I notice that I feel much better when I dont focus on Johns conditions but
focus on the interaction that him and I are having. I feel like he is more positive than I am on
some days and that really is the best thing.
I would highly advocate keeping these service learning projects in college courses. It
creates the ability for classes to be more topical. Also, the rewards an individual can gain from
devoting service are plentiful. Pairing service hours with academia provides opportunities for
busy students to contribute to their communities. The requirement aspect can take away from
the service project but I believe through personal experience that the students who are serving for
only academic purposes will feel the benefits and gratification from serving in one way or
another. Requiring service oriented projects in schools provides more able hands that ready to
serve organizations who are in need of service or lack proper funding. The service and studying I
conducted at TURN Community Services provided me with insight and memories that I will
never forget.