Field Notes
Look for: interesting objects and human interactions…anything that surprises you or captures your
attention...things people seem to care about…anything that questions your assumptions about how
the world works.
Describe: the time, date and location…details Interpret: Why do you think people are doing
about the setting….your sensory experiences
what they are doing? What does the
(what you see, hear, etc.)…human interactions observation make you think about? Are there
(what do people say and do?)…what’s not
other associations tied to your observation?
there.
What context is important to know in order to
understand what’s going on? What does the
observation reveal about broader social or
cultural practices, values, or beliefs?
Cemetery at 4 pm. I’m investigating
happiness, so I’m starting from somewhere
there seems to be none.
It occurs to me that happiness can be found
anywhere. Depending on the reason you’re
visiting this cemetery, your mood may be
different. What if you were visiting somebody
who died saving your life? That’s a different
kind of emotion than visiting the grave of a
parent who died while you were young.
There’s a tennis court and a park right over
the fence. There are more people there than
there are here.
It’s not surprising that a park is getting more
use than a cemetery. People don’t want to
remember the sad parts of their lives. They’d
rather play and have fun, and live in a happier
moment.
I haven’t been here long and three cars have
already driven through. Nobody stops to get
out of the car.
Is misery viewed as something contagious?
Will their moods be spoiled simply by setting
foot on the grounds? By staying in the car
they don’t really visit the place.
Those driving through seem grave and
solemn. Almost like ghosts traveling through
the graveyard. The leaves they drive over
make more noise than they do.
They don’t get out of their cars. Is there a
reason for that? It makes them seem ethereal.
Like they aren’t really visiting, just silent
entities passing through.
Quite a few graves have flowers, though most
of them don’t.
Those who have flowers probably have family
members nearby. Why aren’t the other people
remembered? How would families feel if
someone unknown placed flowers on a
relative’s grave?
Many graves have pots on the side that I
assume are meant to hold flowers, but they’re
empty.
It’s a little depressing to see something like
these empty flower pots. Without flowers they
have no use. The number of graves with these
empty pots is overwhelming, like they band
together to create a presence of sadness.
I only see one bench. It is placed under a big
tree. It seems like someone could sit here in all
weather, being sheltered by the pine, but the
dust gathering on it discloses its limited use.
As does the autumn season decorations
crowding its surface.
This could be a place where people sit and
reflect on their life and their emotions. Maybe
the groundskeepers assumed that it would go
unused. It doesn’t seem like anybody has
come here in a long time.
Some graves take the shape of benches. What
for?
Why would this be the case? I don’t think
anybody actually sits on graves that are made
to look like benches. Why?
A family with three very young kids gets out
of a car. Do they understand what is here?
They didn’t stay long. Is misery contagious?
People abandon places perceived as sad?
Children don’t understand the heavy weight of
this place. They see the dispositions of their
parents, but their moods are unaffected. Are
children better at being positive? How do they
avoid the demeanor of this place dampening
their moods?
The graves even with the ground don’t seem
to be cared for as much. But who cares for
death?
These gravestones are probably those of
people who are long forgotten, or people who
don’t have relatives around anymore. Nobody
cares to preserve them or keep them in good
shape.
The trees here are old and tall. I wonder what
they have seen.
They stand as sentinels. They are the only
ones who have seen all that have come and
gone. Even the trees seem empty and sad, but
they’re still here.
There is a stark contrast between pines and
trees that have no leaves.
This would probably make the place prettier
in the summer, but in winter it widens the gap
between life and death.
Reflect: What inquiries does this observation inspire?
Can misery and/or happiness emanate from a place?
Does the way we perceive a place create an artificial, but tangible air of emotion? Can we change
that by reshaping the way we reflect on our experiences?
Why do people visit this place?