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Final Ethnography Paper As you are aware from the readings, anthropological fieldwork typically takes a year or more. Think of this assignment as ethnography light. Ethnographic research allows you, the researcher, to enter a subculture (site) and observe a population. So what I want you to focus on is a group, to go and participate and to observe. This is the main way cultural anthropologists do their research, we participate and observe. Also involved is interviewing people mostly informally. It is critical that you select a topic and site that will produce enough information for a 7 page paper. Before you start, select a place or a group, or a couple places (groups) and visit them. However, you have to narrow it down to one group/place with people. Also conduct background research on the location. Is the location a place you can gather enough data? Also research the site for background information on the site. For example, if you are going to a local Starbucks to observe, look up the company on the Internet, what is the company’s philosophy and customer relations. What do employees say about the company, what do customers say? Look at critics and supporters of the location. Once you have selected a site, make your first visit, looking at the people getting coffee, hanging out, the banter between employees, identify the regulars, begin to determine who are you going to interview (you will want to interview employees and customers). You will want to conduct informal and formal interviews. Now that you know more, you can craft your questions. Have them written. Have both open and closed questions. Be sure to get permission slips signed (I will post permission slips for your use). HOWEVER, THE MOST IMPORTANT THIS IS OBSERVING, LISTENING, WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING, WHAT ARE PEOPLE DOING? CAN YOU ENGAGE WITH THEM? TALK TO THE BARRISTA WHEN IT IS SLOW. MOST OF ALL YOU ARE PARTICIPATING AND OBSERVING. You should have lots of notes (recorded in a video or digital format or written notes), which means that you have 5 weeks or more to go as many times as you need to collect data, more notes than you need for a 7-10 page paper. Turning field notes into an ethnography is more of an art. You need to decide, what to leave in, what to leave out. We will talk more when we get to that part. Prior to this, you have your research focus or question. This will determine what notes you include in your final write up. Going back to my example of Starbucks, I can emphasis the employees, or the customers. If I see things about employees that are not part of their corporate image, I might want to go that way. However if customers do not act polite, I might want to go that way. The critical thing is that you have plenty of notes to go in the direction that supports your focus. Again, these are decisions you need to make before writing the ethnography. Ethnography Assignment Objectives Thinking Goals • To become an “expert” on a subculture to which you do not belong. • To analyze and understand the rituals and practices of a subculture and the effects on its members. • To connect the overall experiences of this subculture to larger society and to your own culture. • To understand the meaning and purpose of ethnography. Writing Goals • To develop your investigative research skills, based on effective observation, interviewing, and note-taking techniques. • To develop your descriptive writing skill (showing rather than telling) by using specific, detailed language. • To develop your ability to organize an informational essay, including background information, characterization, research, observation, and quotes. Your assignment is to research a subculture with which you are unfamiliar (you do not work at the site, you are not a regular, etc.). Your goal is to become an “expert” on that culture. During your site visits, you will be interviewing “insiders,” making observations, collecting data, and learning about another group of people. You will also be making discoveries about yourself: your communication skills; your comfort level in meeting new people; your interview skills; your growing awareness of diversity. Requirements 1. Make a minimum of 3-4 site visits (GO to the place) and take notes each time and spend a minimum of 2-3 hours for each visit. You will receive additional information and practice on effective observation and note-taking techniques. Your notes and observation must be turned in with your final ethnographic paper. 2. Interact with group of insiders (people who are part of the subculture, not mere observers or outsiders). Conduct an interview with someone in the group. You must also obtain a signed permission form from each interview subject as evidence of your interview. 3. Gather an artifact from the subculture. This could be a photograph of the members of the subculture or a physical artifact of some significance. Process/Prewriting We will discuss and research examples of different cultural values and beliefs, and consider how to interpret these in the subculture you will observe. My bid per page: $