In this essay I ask you to step out into the world to examine some subculture (a group of people who share “ritual” behaviors, valued objects, common language, and a set of values). You will be acting somewhat like an anthropologist for this assignment, going out into the world to the fieldsite where these people can be found, to observe, writing down your observations, trying to see patterns in the details, and then writing up your study. Be sure to include description of that place, which may be a physical space or a virtual one. This is one of the more open-ended assignments in the course, which may pose challenges, so be sure to spend a good amount of time meditating to find an interesting focusing question that has a potentially accessible answer.
DECIDE ON A SUBJECT: Write about a group by observing them in their “natural habitat.” Think about your friends and family members and the various groups to which they belong (these groups may be connected to their work or hobbies, religious practices or social ties). Or consider whether you know someone who seems to represent a more general “type” of person (kindergartner, middle school bully, high school Goth, cheerleader, World of Warcraft addict, soccer mom, widower in assisted living facility, to name only a few possibilities). Note that these types may be identified and shaped by a mix of factors such as age, socio-economic status, and cultural influences. Look for someone who seems to you “colorful” in some way, remembering that it’s the writer’s interest that makes subjects interesting to others. (I’m convinced that, with the right kind of attentiveness on the writer’s part, a cubicle worker’s life can be made fascinating.)
OBSERVE AND TAKE FIELD NOTES: Visit your site or your interview subject with notebook in hand. If you are in an actual field site, you may want to start with a description of the place itself. Map out the space. How does traffic flow? What’s the general atmosphere? What details create that atmosphere? What’s the lighting like? The floor? The furniture? Pictures on the wall? Of what? Remember that you have five senses. What do you smell, hear, taste, touch?
Now pay attention to the people in your fieldsite. What are their ages, genders, clothing? How do they interact? Record specific bits of conversation. Are they using any insider language, any unfamiliar words? Make sure to record objective, concrete details. Look for patterns. Ask questions. If you are observing a cyber-environment, consider how people present themselves. How are web pages laid out? Record exchanges. How does the community “work”?
Arrange to spend some time with your subject. Bring a notebook so that you can record the details that you hear and notice. Consider such things as the following:
physical description
self-image
social status/ social connections
favorite or important possessions
group values
group beliefs
location of meetings
group meeting behaviors
hierarchy
language/lingo
The target length of your essay is 5 – 7 pages. Remember that the best writing is done from a sense of abundance, a big messy heaping pile of details. If you think your pile is not deep or rich enough, go back to your fieldsite to collect some more data. Even if you are comfortable with the amount of information you have collected, it is often helpful to visit the site more than once.
After you have considered your group thoroughly and observed activities, you will be in a position to do research, for documents and studies which cover your chosen group. Your final work will incorporate other scholars’ viewpoints and research along with your own. You should use research to support or in some way deepen your own research question. For instance, if you decide your group values being c0nsidered outsiders, find research which has looked at the what people gain from establishing themselves as part of a subversive and/or cohesive group.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|