AAAS218 Lake Michigan College Library Scene Questions
AAAS218 Lake Michigan College Library Scene Questions
In our first field journal, you thought about some aspect of another culture that you found interesting and wanted to know more about. This is the first step in any anthropological project. Once an anthropologist has conceived of a project (and of course, had it approved and funded), the next step is to do field work. For this field journal activity, we are going to practice our fieldwork skills, specifically participant observation and field note taking. Start by reading through the document posted on how to take good field notes. Once you have completed this, find a good place to sit for a little while where you can observe a variety of people (some good options could be the library, computer lab, coffee shop, local restaurant, or even just sitting in downtown Lansing during lunch hour). You can even complete this activity at an event of some sort if you prefer. This event or location should be something you find interesting, but not one that is familiar to you. Immerse yourself in something a little new!Take good field notes on your experience (using the posted guide), and then use those field notes to answer the following questions:
- Describe the scene, paying attention to all of your senses. What do you see, smell, and hear? If it seems useful, draw a map of the setting, indicating the position and movement of people. What types of people are present (older, younger, students, workers, etc.)? Are there any specific groups of people that are absent (for example, are children absent?)?
- Look for the structure of the situation. What types of participants are present? Are the participants differentiated from each other in some way?
- Are there any elements of ritual, either formal or informal, in what you observe? How do you interpret the meaning and effect of these ritualized behaviors?
- What appear to be the unspoken – or spoken — rules that underlie this event or activity? Is there any formal authority? To what extent is it respected? Do people seem to follow the rules, explicit or tacit, or do they bend them?
- Do all participants seem to be deriving the same benefits or satisfactions from participation? Do they have means of communicating positive or negative judgments about the situation?
Your final write-up should be 1 page single spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman. Submit it to the Dropbox/Assignment folder for this activity on D2L. Grammar and spelling is important
