Fieldnotes Practice
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Text Published:
Fieldnotes Practice
On the outside the 4-face clock tower stands. On top of it, an image of Saint Joseph, confirming the susptions that the building is a church. The building is white and used to be the tallest construction around. Today, among the skyscrapers, it is barely noticed by passers by. Inside, a small church, all white and very simple, striking the eyes only two rows of pwes and some saint's images.
Temple is empty most of the day. Around midday it gets a little busy, gattering people grabbing the opportunity from lunch time. Such is the time I chose to be there for several days: between 12 and 13 o'clock, middays. I hear some hummming sound comming from the streets, fresults of traffic and people talking. Inside, some people exchange greetings, talk in a low voice, almost whispering. I also heard sound of prayers coming from people, very low sounds.
I smell cleaning produts, but it is a subtle smell. Sometimes the smell of candle burning takes over, and, of course, smell from people coming and going. Once or twice I heard a sound of snoring. Some people find the church a good place to rest from the heat outside and some even take a nap, with or withou snoring. It is possible to touch some os the saints images. A few are in hands reach and the majority too high in the niches above. Impossible to touch those high above, some people seem to try to touch them by extendind their arms, in thin air, in prayers and in direction of the saint. The images seems to be made of marble or plaster and they feel cold when touched. There is nothing to be physically tasted there, at least this time of the day.
People coming and going move in a discreat way and they help define the quite, intimate, and spiritual space. The majority of them pray, using gesture like kneeling and extending their arms and hands toward the images and they also pray, in whispering voice or in total silence.
They usually enter, greet someone with a low voice or even with a gesture using the hand or the head, kneel using one of the pews, pass in front of the images of the saints, try to reach them with their hands when it is possible (some image are too high to anybody touch them and some persons are too short even to touch the images not so high), they do their prayers, either in silence or in whispering voices. The prayers may be spontaneous, said by heart or red from a paper ou book. They usually make the sign of the cross at the beginning and at the end of their prayers, and sometimes several times during their prayers.
What grabs my attention are the one who stop to take a rest, either to read or to check their smartphones or to do nothing. Some seems to be taking a nap, some of them so profound you can hear they snoring.
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Draft:
On the outside the tower stands. On top of it, a four-faced clock let people know the time. On top of the clock, a image of Saint Joseph. The building is white and used to be the tallest construction around. Today, among the skyscrapers, it may no be noticed by passers by. Inside, a small church, very simples, with two rows of pwes and some saint's images.
Most of the day the temple is empty. Around midday it gets a little busy. This is the time I choose to be there for several days: between 12 and 13 o'clock, middays. I hear people some hummming comming from the streets, from traffic and people talking. Inside, some people exchange greetings, talk in a low voice, almost whispering and I hear sound of prayers, very low sounds.
I smell cleaning produts, but very subtly. Some smell of candle and smell from people coming and going. Once I hear a sound of snoring. Some people find the church a good place to rest from the heat outside and some even take a nap, with or withou snoring. It is possible touch some os the saints images. A few are in hands reach and the majority too high in the niches. Impossible to touch althoug some people seem to try to touch them by extendind their arms in prayers in direction of the saint. The images are made of marble and they touch cold. There is nothing to be physically tasted there, at this time of the day.
People coming and going move in a discreat way and they help define the quite, intimate and spiritual space. The majority of them pray, using gesture like kneeling and extending their arms and hands toward the images and they also pray, in whispering voice or in total silence.
They usually enter, greet someone with a low voice or even with a gesture using the hand or the head, kneel using one of the pews, pass in front of the images of the saints, try to reach them with their hands when it is possible (some image are too high and the person too short even to touch the images near the ground), they do their prayers, either in silence or in whispering voices. The prayers may be spontaneous, said by heart or red from a paper ou book. They usually make the sign of the cross at the beginning and at the end of their prayers, and sometimes several times during their prayers.
What grabs my attention are the one who stop to take a rest, either to read or to check their smartphones or to do nothing. Some seems to be taking a nap and even some may snor.
Most of the day the temple is empty. Around midday it gets a little busy. This is the time I choose to be there for several days: between 12 and 13 o'clock, middays. I hear people some hummming comming from the streets, from traffic and people talking. Inside, some people exchange greetings, talk in a low voice, almost whispering and I hear sound of prayers, very low sounds.
I smell cleaning produts, but very subtly. Some smell of candle and smell from people coming and going. Once I hear a sound of snoring. Some people find the church a good place to rest from the heat outside and some even take a nap, with or withou snoring. It is possible touch some os the saints images. A few are in hands reach and the majority too high in the niches. Impossible to touch althoug some people seem to try to touch them by extendind their arms in prayers in direction of the saint. The images are made of marble and they touch cold. There is nothing to be physically tasted there, at this time of the day.
People coming and going move in a discreat way and they help define the quite, intimate and spiritual space. The majority of them pray, using gesture like kneeling and extending their arms and hands toward the images and they also pray, in whispering voice or in total silence.
They usually enter, greet someone with a low voice or even with a gesture using the hand or the head, kneel using one of the pews, pass in front of the images of the saints, try to reach them with their hands when it is possible (some image are too high and the person too short even to touch the images near the ground), they do their prayers, either in silence or in whispering voices. The prayers may be spontaneous, said by heart or red from a paper ou book. They usually make the sign of the cross at the beginning and at the end of their prayers, and sometimes several times during their prayers.
What grabs my attention are the one who stop to take a rest, either to read or to check their smartphones or to do nothing. Some seems to be taking a nap and even some may snor.
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Instructions:
Writer’s Journal #15 – Fieldnotes Practice
OVERVIEW
As part of Writing Project #2, you will need to take detailed observations and fieldnotes of the ritual, practice, behavior, or habit (what we will generically refer to as a cultural phenomenon) that you will be exploring. Observation is essential in many types of research, and in an ethnography careful observation is critical.
DIRECTIONS
In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to begin to gather observations for Writing Project #2 and to work on fieldnotes about those observations. To that end, be sure to review the course materials on making observations and fieldnotes. Then, go to the place where you can observe the phenomenon that will be the focus of your ethnography. Be sure to bring something to write with (pen & paper, computer, etc.).
Step 1
Take notes using the questions below to help guide you (be sure not to make judgments—take notes only on what you observe). Remember that you will first need to take observation notes and then later turn them into fieldnotes (via the questions below):
- What do you see? Describe the objects, colors, shapes, patterns of movement.
- What do you hear? Describe sounds, music, and any patterns you can hear.
- What do you smell? Describe any food or environmental smells.
- What do you touch? Describe what physical parts of the environment you are in contact with and how they feel.
- What do you taste? Is there anything in the environment that you can (or should taste)? If so, what does it taste like?
Step 2
Next, turn your observations to the people and their actions (being sure not to make judgments):
- How do people move through the place? How do they help to define the space?
- Describe the actions of the people in the place. What are they doing?
- Do you observe any special patterns of behavior among the people you observe? Do people seem to be doing certain actions in certain ways at certain times or in certain specific places?
- Do you notice any special patterns of speech? Are people saying certain things over and over? Are they greeting each other in particular ways?
- What else jumps out at you as you observe people in this space?
Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible as you are you taking observational notes, and use examples where possible when writing out your fieldnotes.
SUBMIT
Please type (or paste) your response to these questions in the box below. Be sure to read over your response to be sure it says what you want it to say. Once you are satisfied with your response:
1. save your progress,
2. copy your response so that you can include it in your portfolio,
3. and submit your response.
OVERVIEW
As part of Writing Project #2, you will need to take detailed observations and fieldnotes of the ritual, practice, behavior, or habit (what we will generically refer to as a cultural phenomenon) that you will be exploring. Observation is essential in many types of research, and in an ethnography careful observation is critical.
DIRECTIONS
In this Writer’s Journal, you will have the opportunity to begin to gather observations for Writing Project #2 and to work on fieldnotes about those observations. To that end, be sure to review the course materials on making observations and fieldnotes. Then, go to the place where you can observe the phenomenon that will be the focus of your ethnography. Be sure to bring something to write with (pen & paper, computer, etc.).
Step 1
Take notes using the questions below to help guide you (be sure not to make judgments—take notes only on what you observe). Remember that you will first need to take observation notes and then later turn them into fieldnotes (via the questions below):
- What do you see? Describe the objects, colors, shapes, patterns of movement.
- What do you hear? Describe sounds, music, and any patterns you can hear.
- What do you smell? Describe any food or environmental smells.
- What do you touch? Describe what physical parts of the environment you are in contact with and how they feel.
- What do you taste? Is there anything in the environment that you can (or should taste)? If so, what does it taste like?
Step 2
Next, turn your observations to the people and their actions (being sure not to make judgments):
- How do people move through the place? How do they help to define the space?
- Describe the actions of the people in the place. What are they doing?
- Do you observe any special patterns of behavior among the people you observe? Do people seem to be doing certain actions in certain ways at certain times or in certain specific places?
- Do you notice any special patterns of speech? Are people saying certain things over and over? Are they greeting each other in particular ways?
- What else jumps out at you as you observe people in this space?
Be sure to be as detailed and thorough as possible as you are you taking observational notes, and use examples where possible when writing out your fieldnotes.
SUBMIT
Please type (or paste) your response to these questions in the box below. Be sure to read over your response to be sure it says what you want it to say. Once you are satisfied with your response:
1. save your progress,
2. copy your response so that you can include it in your portfolio,
3. and submit your response.
_________________________________
Done!
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