Research suggestion

Proposal, full instructions
Posted on: Friday, September 30, 2022 11:27:11 AM EDT

Participant Observation Project Overview:

As you have now discovered, anthropology requires observation of human behavior (review material from Perspectives ch 3, especially pp. 54 – 66, https://perspectives.americananthro.org/Chapters/Fieldwork.pdf) Now it is your turn! Throughout this semester, you will conduct your own observation of an online community.

The participant observation project is the signature assignment. It gives you a chance to step into the shoes of an anthropologist and conduct a mini version of ethnographic fieldwork. For this project, you will choose a virtual cultural community or in person communiy to follow. The process will require you to observe, participate in, and write about people in an online or in person community.

Read the full instruction under ‘Course Content’ –> Signature Assignment

There are three parts to this project:

Proposal, 250 – 500 words, choose an online community (50 points) -Participant Observation: Proposal and Background
Field Notes (50 points) – Participant Observation: Field Notes
Paper 1250 – 1500 words, interrelate your primary research and analyses (findings) with your secondary research (bibliography related to core anthropological concepts) (100 points) – Participant Observation: Project Write-up

Part 1: Proposal, What to include:

In an essay of 250 – 500 words complete the following.

For this first part of the assignment include the following:

Describe the online community decided to research and provide any relevant links. (5 points)

Explain why you choose the general topic and what specific aspects you will focus your exploration on (5 points)

What larger cultural phenomena are at play within this group? This is somewhat speculative but you can also use news articles and other sources to find out more to answer this question.

What hurdles or difficulties do you foresee in conducting your fieldwork? (5 points)

Include a positionality statement: Briefly (4-5 sentences) describe the ways that your positionality (age, biases, expectations, gender presentation, language skills, knowledge base etc.) may impact your research.

What are the ethical considerations of fieldwork online. (Read the American Anthropological Association’s (AAA) Code of Ethics found on their website at: http://www.americananthro.org/ParticipateAndAdvocate/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=1656) (5 points)

For example, how will you introduce yourself to the group? If you are simply observing, you do not need to announce yourself as an anthropologist. However, if you interact or participate in anyway, you MUST do so. Write out a short introduction (1-2 sentences) you might use for a group post or in a direct message (DM) requesting an informal interview.

Provide an observation plan/schedule that states how you will conduct your research? (20 points)

For example: “Beginning on (date), I will spend (amount of time) at my fieldwork site, doing (activity).”
Explain your plan based on the site you chose. Many of you will actively participate in chats/comments/content creation and many of you will seek out individual interviews or chats with other participants. Given these expectations, take some time to plan out how you can make this work for you schedule.
What device(s) you will use to communicate with your virtual community?
How will you be able to participate? While much of this project will be observation, you MUST also participate in some way. Please detail multiple ways you will participate.
Will you attempt to contact individual members for conversations (informal interviews)? Why or why not?
Do you need any special competency to fully participate (language, specific gender, religion, etc.)?

Complete the Procedural/Ethical Checklist: Please respond to the following questions (Yes/No/explanation) (10 points possible).

Is your participation in the cultural event free and accessible to you?
Would your observation of this group violate any spoken or unspoken privacy rules?
At what point and how will you explain that you are an anthropologist?
Will you need specific permissions to attend/participate? Who you will ask for permission? You’re your obtained it yet? If not, what is your plan?
What is/are the primary language(s) spoken in this site/community? Can you speak and listen in this language? If not, explain how you will study this culture (key informants who are fluent may be able to help).
What do you have in common, if anything, with the participants in the group?
What specialized knowledge or vocabulary are used at this site/community? Are you familiar with this? If not, what is your plan to gain sufficient proficiency?
Do you have a key informant to consult? (someone who is a member of the culture-not absolutely necessary but can be very helpful). If so, what role will they play in the research?
Do you anticipate any ethical issues regarding your attendance/participation at the location/event? Briefly state why you believe there may be or will not be impacts upon the people at your site.
Before launching your project:

Make sure your proposal is approved by your professor before continuing your project. Once the assignment is submitted you can review Instructor comments by clicking on ‘My Grades’ and then the conversation bubble next to the assignment titled Part 1: Proposal.

A few things to keep in mind:

Always be honest and open about your research. If you are studying a closed group or interacting directly with people in an open group, remember to tell the people you interact with that you are taking an anthropology class and learning how to do anthropological research.

Keep all names anonymous.

Your safety and well-being are the top priorities. Should you encounter any abusive language or actions focused toward you, consult immediately with your professor.

Avoid research involving children.

How to submit:

Once you have written the proposal in word and saved the document as a pdf, submit by clicking on the title of this assignment (Part 1: Proposal) and uploading your document. Uploaded documents must be in word or pdf formats and include your last name in the title. No other formats are accepted. If you do not have access to word or can not convert your document to a pdf, you may choose to copy and paste your proposal in the text box provided.

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