2.7 Writing ethnographic fieldnotes

We started class by talking about Robert Emerson's Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. He begins by pointing out that the word ethnography refers both the written text that ethnographers produce, and the ethnographic methods researchers use to gather data for ethnographies. In the discussion that follows (and the next two sections) out the two defining featuers of ethnograhies: they use participant-observation, a process where the researchers immerse themselves in the life of the group they are studying; and ethnography uses fieldnotes (writing) taken at the time of the observations as a basis for representing and reflecting the group members identities, activities, interactions, assumptions, values, beliefs and so on.

We took a close look at the three examples of "fieldnote write-ups" => the writing produced by ethnograpers to represent what happens/what they observed. We read Emerson's characterizations fo the three different perspectives on check-out lines and noted that the kinds of observations the research wrote down reflected three different perspectives: objective, subjective, and interactive.

We suggested in our talk that you as a researchers might move among these different perspectives, and that you would notice different "facts" from the different perspectives.

We also talked briefly about the problems of participant observation, particularly the inevitable fact that your presences as a researchers is going to "change" what you see. The people you are observing are goinig to behave differently because you are there. We talked briefly about whether it is possible to observe a group (ethically) without them being aware of your observations - and noted that really, unless researchers are willing to deceive or not fully inform research subjects - it is not. Because it is not possible to be a "fly on the wall," Emerson suggests that immersion coupled with noting and reflecting on how your community receives you (and how you feel about your reception) can fill out what you know about a community in ways that do not erase the effects of the observer's presence - but that can at least pay attention to and put on paper full rich descriptions of a wide range of interactions.

We then talked a little about strategies for taking notes (jottings) and how you can decide what to focus on. We noted that when you first start observing your group - you will want to note your initial impressions, and that you might take fairly "random" notes from a number of different perspectives. Through reviewing your notes and reflecting on your experiences, you will begin to get some ideas about what in particular is "important" and what you want to study. So in some sense, ethnographies start slow - you have to wade in - before you begin doing focused analysses.

After this presentation, you took ethnographic fieldnots on our class interactions. I suggested that since we knew each other, these would not be "arrival" or "first impression" notes. Rather, I suggested that you take your notes with a question in mind: is our class a Discourse community (in the sense that Branick referred to - using Swales' definition?)

And then I invited students to share what they'd written on their blogs about their research projects - and then asked the class to help them think about what methods they might use. We talked for about 15 minutes, and then you wrote up your jottings as fieldnotes and published them on Blog 5.5.

Blog 5.5: Post your ethnographic notes (these notes are Data Set 2)

For next class:

Post Blog 6: Explore the following questions in light of the evidence in notes taken by our class. Is our class a Discourse community? (Check out the definition of Discourse community in Branick). What evidence do you have in terms of "insider" ways of talking and meaning (e.g. words and patterns for talk) that are different from other classes? shared goals? genres (expectations about what "counts" as writing)? Is our class part of the larger Discourse community for "writing studies" or "being a student" or "writing majors at Kean" => but NOT a distinct Discourse community on its own? Use evidence from your fieldwork to "prove your case.

We will begin class with presentations on your answers to the question posed for Blog 6. You can draw from all of your classmates' posts (linked through the course blog) as evidence.

After the presentations - we will spend the rest of class working on a draft research plan => your plan to "do" your project. We will talk through it together, in class, and you will meet with me at your conference to work on this.

Have a great weekend - enjoy the snow!