experience collecting ethnographic observation data
The purpose of this assignment is to give students the opportunity to have a first hand experience collecting ethnographic observation data. Observations are often conducted to theorize about the nature of groups (ethnic, cultural, religious, political, professional, or other). They are also useful for theorizing about taken-for-granted social interactions in our everyday lives. Students will engage in 1 hour of fieldwork. This assignment will require students to select a public and social activity that is practical to observe ethnographically. The assignment submission will include three components: rough handwritten field notes; typed detailed field notes (minimum 3 pages, single spaced); and a critical reflection (3 pages, single spaced with a
bibliography).
Background Info:
Field notes are simply written records of a researcher’s thoughts, emotions, and observations.
Researchers who are conducting observational studies usually enter and exit their settings
numerous times over the course of months and even years. One field note documents one
sustained observation. A set of field notes is a complete collection of the notes recording multiple observations for an entire study. Once a researcher decides it is no longer necessary or practical to conduct any more observations, they analyze the entire data set, looking for patterns or themes that will form the basis of a theory. So, because field notes are simply “raw data” for a later analysis, they do not have to be “pretty.” For this assignment, you are to submit your rough field notes, your typed detailed notes, and a critical reflection.[unique_solution]
Instructions:
You are required to observe in a public space of your choosing for 60 min, take field notes (as
described in lecture), and then type detailed notes that describe and analyze your observations.
Because you are engaging in an advanced ethnographic observation, you are to observe a
particular form or kind of social interaction. This is not just a general observation. Students are to dig deeper and examine a social interaction in depth. Students are encouraged to choose one of the following types of interactions to observe:
– Greetings, or lack thereof
– Body language
– Group dynamics
Process:
1.) Select a public space where you can comfortably observe; the space should be one where
many people will be interacting with each other in some way during the time you plan to
observe. For reasons of research ethics, you may NOT observe in a private location (i.e.,
someone’s home), nor a space that is regularly used by children, nor a space where people may
be in vulnerable situations (i.e., health, medical, or counseling services; washrooms, change
rooms, or locker rooms; etc.). The space should be one where you are not likely to be interrupted by friends. The goal is to choose a space where people are engaging in everyday activities, and in which they do not have an expectation of privacy.
You will be evaluated, in part, on your ability to choose an appropriate and interesting space for
observation. You should arrange your schedule such that you can budget time to type your field
notes shortly after you complete your observation, otherwise you might forget some of the
important details. 2.) Once you have decided on a setting, you need to be critically reflexive about the observational methods you will use and your role as the researcher. In other words, what special strategies will you employ to maximize authenticity, maintain ethical conduct, and record reliable data? How does your presence in the space affect it, or does it? You should think about how you will enter the setting, the role you will play there, and what you will observe.
3.) On the day of your observation, choose a spot to sit where you can see many people. Do not
modify or rearrange the space/setting in any way (i.e., do not move furniture) and limit your
participation with the space and people as much as possible. While observing, take detailed field notes about the space/physical setting and the particular type of social interaction that you are observing. Do not record any personally identifying information about people (i.e., no names) in your notes. IMPORTANT: if someone asks what you are doing, explain the assignment to them. If someone asks you to stop observing them, stop taking notes immediately. You then need to wait until the person leaves the area or, if they remain in the area, you may need to return at another time. Remember to divide your note pages in half vertically with evidence on one side and inference on the other (see the lecture’s PowerPoint slides).
4.) After you have observed for 60min, you need to document your experiences by typing up
detailed field notes. You will type out everything that you wrote down during the observation,
and include more information, thoughts, and details. You should spend at least 60min typing your post-observation detailed notes from the 60min observation. Your typed notes should be at least 3 pages long (single spaced) and should include the following headings:
Observation Setting. Details about the setting
Type of Interaction. Identify what type of social interaction you were considering
Observation Subjects. Characterize as completely as you can the key actors you
observed and their behaviour in the setting
Detailed Activities. Describe in detail the activities you observed while you were there.
Include what the participants were doing, but also your actions, the timeline etc.
5.) Once you have finished typing out your detailed field notes, you should draft a critical
reflection that includes an assessment of your experience. Reflections should be 3-pages (single
spaced), and must reference 3 course readings. Be sure to append a bibliography of cited sources.
Do not include sources in your bibliography that you have not referenced in the paper.
Reflections should consider the following topics:
Reflection. What did it feel like to observe the activities you did? Did you start with an
open mind? Did you adopt an attitude of strangeness? Did you explain what it means to
be ‘normal’? How do race, class, and gender affect or influence the interactions or
subjects you were observing? What emotions/thoughts did you have, and do you think
they affected your observation?
Evidence vs. Inference. Speculate about what kinds of inferences you were making
about the evidence. Now that you are reflecting on your observation, do you have other
ideas/thoughts about your inferences? Would you change any of your inferences?
Unexpected Problems. Describe any problems or dilemmas that you encountered and
how you solved them. Were you able to execute the observational plan you had
developed? Did anything unexpected happen that threatened the authenticity of your
observations or the reliability of your records of them? Did anything happen that posed
an ethical dilemma? If so, how did you resolve it?
6.) Your final assignment should include:
- a) Rough handwritten field notes taken during the observation;
- b) Post-observation typed detailed field notes, minimum 3 pages;
- c) Critical reflection, 3-pages single spaced with references to course materials, and a
bibliography of cited sources.