What's the story you're telling? (set aside 60 mins for this)

After Tuesday's class, I better understood what you don't understand, and so we are going to spend the next few days working to clear up some of your fuzziness.

My main priority at this point in the semester is for you to be able to see The Story at your fieldsite. What are you going to write about?

What's the story about?

We need to make sure that you end up writing a story about people, about a subculture of people (hair stylists, lobstermen, pizzeria owners, ) and their trials and tribulations, their history, their life experience as members of this group.

What is it like to be a fisherman in Rhode Island in 2013?
What is it like to cut and style other peoples' hair every day?
What is it like to own and sustain a neighborhood pizzeria in Rhode Island?

The point of the project is to find out about a place and about the people there. That's it. Two things.

So, we've got place down. Now, onto focusing on the people, the life of the place, the underground tensions and invisible forces at play.

I'd like you to watch this film on skateboarders in Mongolia. It's 43 minutes long, so please go to the bathroom, grab some popcorn, and have your notebook and pen handy for jotting down observations.

I'd like you to watch this documentary--this local inquiry project--with this question in mind:

WHAT IS THIS STORY ABOUT?

(Hint: it's not just a report on Mongolian skateboarders.
Another hint: There's more than one answer to this question.)

After you finish viewing the film, write a 300-400 word response in which you discuss the three most compelling aspects of this study of skateboarding youth in Mongolia.

What was interesting to you?

As an immediate response to the film, tell us about the three most intriguing aspects of this study for you as a viewer and why they engaged you.

For class on Friday, be prepared to write to me about the question I pose above: What is this story about? (there are many different thematic narratives woven together here...try to identify them.)

ENJOY THE MOVIE! I think you will be amazed! (Do you know where Mongolia is?)

Tensions in your fieldsite

TENSION: a state in which people or groups disagree with and feel anger toward each other


Just like in fiction, writers of academic research also need to look for the tension in any given context, for in the tension, there's a story. Now, tension doesn't have to exist in the physical world as a struggle between two opposing forces. Tension can creep silently underground, where it exists in forms known to us as "racism," "homophobia," and "age-ism," to name a few tensions that exist in our society. 

There's tension in the field of education: some people want more and more standardized testing, as a way of measuring what students are "getting" out of school and other people want less testing because they know that making kids take tests is not the way to engage them in learning or to accurately measure what they have learned. 

There's tension in the field of conservation: some people want to protect green spaces and parks, want to work for clean water and clear air because they are imagining the kind of world they are leaving for their grandkids; other people do not care about protecting wildlife and clean air, as they would rather contribute to pollution problems and pretend that the Earth is perfectly healthy. 

TENSION lives EVERYWHERE!

This week, I want you to write about the tension/s that you've sensed or witnessed in your fieldsite and/or in the subcultures of people who hang out there. What issues or larger problems are important here? Identify a point of tension (or two) at your fieldsite and discuss it here so that we--outsiders!--can understand all sides of the issue. You may need to do some extra research to complete this blog post, so please be willing to do a Google search or two if that will make the difference between an informed, smart blog response and a hollow, vague response. MAKE YOURS SMART! 

I look forward to reading all about tension this week! 

'Humans of New York': a photoblog about life, empathy, and one person at a time

Here is another bit of inspiration for your fieldstudies, folks. Watch the video clip below, and pay special attention to how this photographer discusses his technique: how he approaches people, asks them for their participation, and listens to their stories in an attempt to capture "their essence" in his photo and brief caption. Also, check out his Facebook page! It is amazing!

I hope this reaffirms your commitment to capturing the idiosyncratic nature of people's individual experiences in a place they share with others. Your research this semester is all about capturing a Sense of Place in your fieldsite and a Sense of Purpose for the folks who occupy it.

'Humans of New York': Photog Gone Viral | Video - ABC News

Young @ Heart: a chorus, a subculture, a fieldstudy

This documentary--a visual fieldworking project--gets me every time! And, it's a great example of a well-rounded field study. Drawing from your notes and from your memory of the film from Friday's class, write to us this week in response to these questions:

1. What made this study of a senior citizens chorus so effective for you, the viewer and "reader?"
2. What kinds of things did the filmmaker/researcher/writer do to make the presentation of this subculture so engaging? 
3. How did it help you envision your own fieldstudy of a subculture and place? 
4. What questions did this study bring up for you regarding your own work in this class this semester?

Please post a paragraph of at least 350 words this weekend. You should post by Sunday night at midnight. Thank you! I look forward to reading what you write. 

Subcultures

This week, as you are finishing up your proposals, I'd like you to think about the subcultures you might find at your fieldsite.

• What subcultures will be prevalent there?
• What do you already know or have you already experienced of this subculture?
• What preconceived notions do you have about this subculture?

*I'm sorry for the late post.  It would be great if you could post your response by Sunday at noon.

Potential Local Inquiry Project fieldsites

For this weekend's blog post, I would like you share with us and tell us about the three potential fieldsites for your local inquiry project this semester. Remember that these potential sites should satisfy all of the criteria listed on the "do-ability" handout I gave you in class. Also, remember that passion, investment, and/or your own intellectual engagement with the place should also (heavily) factor in to your decision of a place to study. I can't emphasize enough how the quality of your writing improves when you are fully engaged in the topic about which you're writing. So, your post should consist of three short paragraphs, each one dedicated to responding to these questions about each of the places on your list of 3: 1. Where? Where is this place, what is it called, and what is its purpose? 2. Why THIS place? What does it mean to you? Why does it pique your curiosity or pull at your heartstrings? 3. How? How will you get into this place and gain access to people? Who will be your guide, if neccesary? Thank you! I look forward to learning about the fieldsites you're considering!

Sense of Place

After viewing and listening to Dana Goia's talk, write to us about your "takeaways":

• What did you take away from what he said? What struck you, in particular? 
• What are some specific things he said that surprised or intrigued you? 
• What is your relationship to the place you live? (Do you know the name of the trees and birds outside your house?) 
•  How do you understand the concept of Sense of Place?