Describe the physical surroundings or environment

Reference no: EM131019643

Important: Points will be taken off if you do not follow the instructions.

You are to observe, record & interpret a social situation (the environment, material culture, people, what they do, say, etc., using all of your senses).

Step 1: Make observations

1) Pick a scene new or unfamiliar to you. It should be a setting where you have a right to be. You might go to a fair, celebration, church event, demonstration, rally, active college social event, or other community or cultural event (see below for a list of suggestions).

2) Stay at least 30 minutes to an hour. Observe what people do. What do you see, hear, feel, or smell?

3) If it is an event, plan to stay the entire event (beginning, middle, and end).

4) Describe the physical surroundings or environment.

5) As much as possible, note the ethnic affiliation, gender and age of participants.

6) If note-taking is not possible, type up your observations immediately after the event - the sooner the better. You will forget the important details. Your notes must be a minimum of 1 page (typed). Your field notes should be located after your essay's conclusion section. Be sure to include the name and date of your participant observation or an event that you attend. Your notes will be worth 10 points.

7) Do not get yourself into a situation you cannot easily handle. Act ethically toward other people. If you are unsure how to proceed, come talk to me and get feedback.

8) Lastly...have fun!

Step 2: Write your essay

Your essay should consist of the following four parts (please label each part of your essay):

I. Introduction (at least ½ page):

A. Identify the social situation or event you chose, and explain why you chose it.

B. Provide some background information to the reader. Assume I know nothing about the social situation/event.

II. Human observations (at least 1 page):

Describe your all of your observations of the scene from Step 1. These are your data. DO NOT

ANALYZE. Just present your observations.

III. Analyze your data (at least 1 page):

A. How do your observations relate to one of the anthropological concepts we have discussed in class? Choose a concept you find interesting. For instance, you might discuss social status or rank, kinship, reciprocity, or a form of religious practice.

B. Evaluate the social situation or event in terms of the concept you chose. For example, you might analyze a celebration you attend in your community. How is this social event a representation of American (or some other) culture with respect to the concept you chose?

IV. Conclusion (at least ½ page):

Conclude your essay with a summary statement about how your event reflects the American culture (or some other culture if you chose a non-American event). Reflect briefly on what you thought about this assignment.

List of possible events and places you can observe and participate in:

For some events and locations, you may need to get permission to participate. Do not attempt to be secretive or hide what you are doing. Remember that you need to choose an event or setting that you are unfamiliar with.

-Islamic Center of the South Plains

-Churches (for example, an ethnic-affiliated church)

-Any cultural event sponsored by an international student organization

-TTU's Cross-Cultural Academic Advancement Center (check with them)

-Check TechAnnounce, the Daily Toreader and local newspaper for possible events

The following may be especially interesting for international students:

-Playgrounds

-Fraternities
-Sororities
-Visiting an American home.
-Sporting events (football, cricket, baseball, etc.)

Reference no: EM131019643

Questions Cloud

Air transportation from economic-safety standpoints : 1. What is the role of government in air transportation from an economic and safety standpoints? 2. Discuss at least two current issues facing the air industry and how each im¬pacts the industry, its customers and employees.

Calculate american put option values : Discretize the above PDE using the implicit method. Write down the recursive equations in matrix form - Compute the option price using both backward PDE

Overall construction of a new international airport : You are the project manager responsible for the overall construction of a new international airport. Draw a dependency map identifying the major groups of people that are likely to affect the success

Who is to blame for the fraud : Again, I expect at least 3 paragraphs to adequately cover the above questions. Cite at least three sources in your discussion. Look to web sources including those available through the library. As always, use good grammar and remember to be concis..

Describe the physical surroundings or environment : Pick a scene new or unfamiliar to you. It should be a setting where you have a right to be. You might go to a fair, celebration, church event, demonstration, rally, active college social event, or other community or cultural event. Stay at least 3..

What is the role provided by break-even point : What is the role provided by break-even point, and how would you calculate this point? Please calculate break-even point in patient days under the provided contract.What are the limitations of using break-even point, and how would you incorporate th..

Identify the methods used for shopping socially : 1. Identify the methods used for shopping socially. 2. What factors might cause an individual an employee, or company to be cautious in the use of social networks?

What will the account balance be in seven years : Suppose a corporation can change its depreciation method so that its tax payments will decrease by $5,000 this year but increase by $5,000 next year.

Please briefly describe the prisoner''s dilemma : Please briefly describe the prisoner's dilemma in your own words. (Please reply in 50-80 words)

User Account

All Pages