Cultural Anthropology, Spring 2020
Behavior Observaon
Conduct your observaons and complete these pages before Thursday, February 6, 2020. Bring these forms with you to class that day. Analysis of these “data” will be the basis of your first paper, due Thursday, February 13, 2020 (see syllabus for details).
Descripon:
What do we consider “normal” behavior? How much of this behavior is based on our personal preferences and how much on our cultural influences and larger social forces?
Instrucons:
The following things are required for this assignment:
- select a public environment or “Fieldsite” (e.g. weight room, dining hall, library);[unique_solution]
- spend 45-60 minutes observing how people behave in this environment;
- While making your observaons, record them using the sheets below. Pay parcular a enon to the types of behaviors that appear to be typical or “normal” and those that are considered atypical or “abnormal”. Feel free to type or hand-write on the forms below.
- A er compleng observaons, write down your own ideas about the following quesons:
- What behaviors seem to be culturally specific? What is considered “normal” for that parcular environment?
- What “abnormal” behaviors did you observe? What might account for this behavior? Consider individual preferences, other cultural beliefs/pracces, financial reasons, etc…
- What, if anything, surprised you?
Others things to consider and record while observing (take nothing for granted!):
The physical layout of the environment [e.g. how are people using space? how are the furniture and other items arranged? What other arfacts are present? What else is going on in the space (what do you hear, smell, feel)]
The human dimension [e.g. how many people are present? Who is parcipang (men/women/both, age range, social class standings, ethnicies)? How are people interacng (or not) with one another? Is an individual or a group in charge? What are people wearing? What are the physical characteriscs of parcipants.]
Other aspects of the acvies [e.g what me of day is it? Would it be different if it was another me? Who is doing what and when? What other objects/arfacts are being used? How are people expressing their parcipaon? What do people intend to accomplish in this place (and are they actually accomplishing other things)? Is anyone violang the “rules” (how can you tell and how are others responding)?
Your own presence (e.g. how is your presence influencing (or not) the behaviors of others)