Reference no: EM133553228

Sociologists conduct research to collect information about society and they apply their findings to better understand the human condition. Sociologists can investigate people in their natural environments by becoming part of their everyday settings to observe and study participants.

You will observe groups of people in social settings to better understand social patterns and group dynamics and then you will write about your findings.

Part 1: Social Group Observation

Imagine you are a sociologist who is researching the behavior of social groups in social settings.

Conduct an in-person observation in a setting where a group of people gather. Examples of places with groups include malls, grocery stores, libraries, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, schools, employee break rooms, parking lots, pubs, sporting events, or your local neighborhood.

Station yourself in a safe location where you can observe people for thirty-sixty minutes without having to approach or engage them. You will just observe people, not interact with them.

Use the Social Group Observation Template to collect field notes on the following data about the individuals in your observation, as you perceive it:

Gender/sex

Race/ethnicity

Age

Part 2: Findings

Describe the setting for your observation, including the location, time of day (morning, afternoon, evening), and the weather, if relevant.

Describe the patterns of group behavior you observed that may have been influenced by each of the following factors:

Setting

Gender/sex

Race/ethnicity

Age

Describe any cultural norms you may have observed in the social groups.

Explain any social or economic factors that may have influenced the dynamics of the social groups.

Explain how observing social patterns and group dynamics may help you personally (not others) succeed in culturally diverse environments; perhaps at work or school or in volunteer settings.