ANTH 2351

Spring 2012

Ethnography #4 The Whole Shebang Based on your experiences in this class (and your life) you will now engage in an investigation of some sub-culture or anthropological phenomena. You can do this on your own or in groups of two (I recommend the latter) and the choice of subject matter is up to you (but you have to get your topic approved by me). In order to complete this assignment you will have to do a little background research, conduct interviews, and write up an analysis (note the part in bold). How to approach this assignment 1. Context. Find a setting that you are interested in learning more about (I recommend that you choose a context located near campus). Your ethnography will need to involve interviews with people who experience the same context. 2. Research. Once you have chosen a topic (and had it approved) you will need to do a little background research. This can involve Internet resources but you will need to find 4 different sources that deal with your issue/phenomenon. 3. Observation. Once you have done some background research you will want to observe people engaging in the activities that you are interested in (in much the same way that you completed Ethnography #2 (Participant Observation). You will need to record field notes of your observations 4. Interviews. Once you have observed people in your context you will want to pick a few to interview. If you are working in pairs, you will need to interview 2 different people per project member (thats four total, fyi). If you are working along, you will need to interview 3 people. These numbers are minimums. There is no maximum. Interviews will be comprised of no less than 15 questions that your group must develop ahead of time and get approved by me. Try to interview people of different backgrounds (if you can). I highly recommend using a voice recorder to document your interviews. This will be much easier than writing down answers. Use the interviews to get a deeper understanding of a particular community or individual's experience or activities, rather than analyze the interview interaction itself. INTERVIEWEES MUST BE STRANGERS TO YOU! 5. Synthesis. You will need to review the answers to your questions and compare answers between interviewees in search of patterns. Look for commonalities in answers but also large differences. In order to effectively compare interviewees you will need to have recorded some basic cultural information about them during the interview.

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Spring 2012

Guidelines for interviewing 1. I recommend that you record your interviews AND take notes as you go. Use a reliable recorder and PRACTICE using it. Bring extra batteries. Find a quiet space for the interview. 2. Tell your own story or provide a detailed description of your own stake in the research area as a starting point. This will help you to create a comfortable relationship with your interviewee. It is also part of informing the interviewee about the purpose of the research, and hence, relates to the concept of 'informed consent' (I will have forms for you to give to interviewees) 3. Use open-ended questions whenever possible. 4. You dont have to restrict yourself to your prepared questions. One of the best strategies to use is to probe an idea produced by your interviewee in the preceding turn. Writing it up For the final due date, include the following in a folder: 1. 2. 3. 4. One page write-up of background research on your topic. Field notes from initial observation. List of interview questions. 3-4 page (double-spaced) narrative on the experience. This should include any 'findings' that you believe you have found.

Questions to consider in your write up: What has led you to interview a certain population? What observations have established a need for interviews? What have you noticed about a specific context that makes you want to interview people about their beliefs, actions, and experiences? What did your interview yield? How did these relate to any observations you had made about the context? What might be the next step in a research project that would carry on with the particular context that you studied? What other methods or other procedures might you turn to next in order to probe the context further? Due Dates You can complete this assignment at your own pace (Lindsey) but here are firm due dates for you to be aware of: Apr 16: Group must have topic picked and approved by me Apr 30: Interviews must be completed Day of final exam: Final Project is due

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Spring 2012

Excellent Research / data gathering

20 points Each member conducted at least 2 interviews; observations were recorded and used in the analysis; background research was documented and relevant; data was synthesized in a meaningful way 5 points The research question was anthropologically relevant; it showed that you integrated material from the course and contributed your own ideas to the project 20 points Content is written clearly and concisely with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information. Information is accurate and comes from properly cited sources 5 points Field notes are well organized and detailed; there is clear evidence that the field notes were reviewed later and data was synthesized 16 points

Good
12 points Each member conducted at 2 interviews; background research was recorded

Fair
Interviews were incomplete; observations and research were only partially relevant 2 points While the question was interesting it was not anthropologically sound; superficial use of concepts from class 12 points Content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Sources appear unreliable. 2 points Field notes are present but are vague or unclear

Incomplete
0 points Conducted less than 2 interviews; did not provide observations or background research 0 points What is your question?

Research question

4 points The research question was interesting and showed use of anthropological concepts 16 points Content is written with a logical progression of ideas. Information comes from cited sources. 4 points Field notes are organized and include some detail

Write up Content

0 points Content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Information is incomplete, out of date, and/or incorrect 0 points Is that like a field goal?

Field Notes