Cantacessi Sociology
Unit 2: Culture
ETHNOGRAPHY REPORT
By November 24th, you will have written an ethnographic report after doing observations on a situation or
place you choose.
Overview Process:
Step 1: Pick a topic and hypothesize about what you
will see during your observation
Step 2: Conduct research—spend at least an hour
observing your subject(s) and taking field notes
Step 3: Review your field notes to look for trends
Step 4: Write a 2-3 page report that reflects on your
findings and makes a claim about the observation
Schedule:
Mon 11/10: Introduce ethnography and field notes
HW: pick a topic/schedule for
dddddddyour ethnography
Wed 11/12: Topic worksheet due
HW: observations
Mon 11/17: Field notes due
Wed 11/19: Note trends in field notes, write outline
dddddddddddin class
HW: work on ethnography
Th 11/20: Type ethnography
HW: work on ethnography
Fri 11/21: Type & Peer Edit
HW: Refine the draft
Mon 11/24: Final ethnography due + field notes
Report Requirements
 2-3 page report, typed, double-spaced, using
a 12-point font, with one-inch margins
 Spelling, grammar, and sentence structure
should all be edited and clear
 Organized using structure outlined below—
includes an argument
 Uses sociology vocab terms (e.g. 5 elements
of culture)
Field Notes Requirements
 Clear, detailed notes that provide an
accurate record of what you observed
 Notes may be typed or hand-written
(whichever process is more natural during
the observation)
 You should have 2 full pages of field notes
 Include a detailed diagram or photos of the
site (the diagram can be hand drawn, or
computer generated)
 You will turn in both your field notes and
your report in hard copy on the due date
(24th)
Using your field notes to form a report…
Using your field notes you will build an argument for your interpretation of what you observed. You will look
for patterns, tropes, correlations, intersections, likenesses and differences in your categories of observation. In
your writing, you should refer to at least 3 of the 5 elements of culture. As you turn the data from your field
notes into a report, follow the general guidelines for social science writing: claim, evidence, and explanation
of significance. You claim that something is true, you provide the evidence from your observations, and then
you link them by showing how the evidence warrants such a claim. See the outline and sample body paragraph
on the last page.
Fill out the categories below in order to choose a clear topic and outline your process. DUE WEDS. 11/12
SITE: Where will you conduct your research? See list of suggested topics/locations
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
OBJECT OF STUDY: What social situation/issue/event do you want to investigate? See list of suggested topics/locations
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
SUBJECTS: Who, specifically, do you want to study? What race/gender/age group do you want to compare?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
QUESTION: What are you trying to find out? What do you want to know by the end of your observation? See list of
suggested topics/locations
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
HYPOTHESIS: What do you expect to find out? Why did you choose this topic? Do you have a theory already?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
PLAN OF ACTION: When will you complete your observation? How many times will you need to visit the location? For
how long? How will you know when you are done?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Possible topics:
1. On the bus/train: Do people get up for disabled people, elderly people or people with babies? In general, are
people helpful to strangers on the bus/train? (similar to your “Helping Experiment”)
2. At School: Who participates more in class? (Decide if you want to study gender, race etc… You will need a
teacher’s permission to observe a class you are NOT in during your lunch period. Try to be “low key” and
make it look like you are just making up a test or something.)
3. At a restaurant: Do parents ignore their children when they’re using cell phones? How do the children react?
Do different races use their phones more or less frequently?
4. At the park: Do boys or girls tend to use different playground equipment? Does only one gender use the
basketball courts?
5. At the park: Do parents ignore their children when they’re using cell phones? How do the children react? Do
different races use their phones more or less frequently?
6. On Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram): Do boys and girls use Facebook differently? Who posts
more frequently? Do they have different types of posts? Which posts get more likes/retweets/reposts? What
types of comments or hashtags are used in different situations?
7. During practice: Do student athletes listen to, obey and respect their coach? Do they listen to, obey and
respect the team captain?
WHAT TO OBSERVE (You may use this sheet to collect your field notes, or just use notebook paper to take notes more
organically. However, you should go through those notes afterwards to highlight/point out each of these categories)
Category
People: number,
race, ethnicity,
class, gender, age,
appearance,
behavior
Location/Objects:
the built
environment,
layout, design, line
of sight, social
effects, furniture,
tools, food etc…
Values: The
standards by which
people define what
is desirable, or
good.
Norms/Folkways/
Mores:
Expectations, or
rules of behavior,
that develop out of
values
Symbol: Something
people attach
meaning to and that
they use to
communicate
Notes from your observation(s)
number, race, ethnicity, c
Language: word
choice, gesture,
tone, effect (do
people use different
language with
different
audiences?)
What conversations
do you overhear?
Try to record word
for word
Exchange: What
do people give back
and forth? (objects,
money, affection,
threats)
Relationships:
Note roles,
positions, intimacy,
distance, contact.
Who has power,
and how do you
know?
DIAGRAM:
Body Paragraph:
“Cafeteria staff and teachers utilize the Von Steuben teachers’ lunchroom in very different ways. [CLAIM] In a fifty
minute period, fifteen teachers and two cafeteria workers entered the lunchroom and stayed for longer than five minutes
(the amount of time to heat up food in the microwave, or grab something out of the fridge. The teachers socialized
amongst each other, talking about upcoming weekend plans, the ACT practice test the previous day, their children, and a
variety of other topics. The cafeteria staff sat at a separate table and did not socialize. One woman had an extended
conversation on her cell phone which seemed to involve picking something important up after work. The other cafeteria
worker ate her lunch while reading a newspaper. Neither cafeteria worker spoke to or acknowledged any of the teachers
present, nor did the teachers speak to or acknowledge the cafeteria workers. [EVIDENCE] Clearly cafeteria workers and
teachers use the space of the lunchroom differently. The teachers focused on socializing, making connections, and
enjoying time in the presence of other adults, while the cafeteria workers were trying to accomplish day to day business or
eat their lunch without side conversations. [EXPLANATION]”
Ethnography Outline
I. Introduction
a. What did you decide to study? (Who, what, where, when, how)
b. Why did you want to study this topic?
c. What is your hypothesis?
II. Body (multi-paragraph)
a. Claim – Evidence – Explanation
b. (What did you see, what do you think it means, how does it prove or disprove your hypothesis?)
III. Body (multi-paragraph)
a. Claim – Evidence – Explanation
b. (What did you see, and what do you think it means, how does it prove or disprove your hypothesis?)
IV. Body (multi-paragraph)
a. Claim – Evidence – Explanation
b. (What did you see, and what do you think it means, how does it prove or disprove your hypothesis?)
V. Conclusion
a. Overall, what was the significance of your observations?
b. What conclusions can you draw about human behavior?
c. To what extent was your hypothesis correct?
d. If you could do an extended (2 -3 month) research project about this topic, what else would you study,
what would you like to know more about?
windows
M
windows
UC
T
C
M
S
&
P
F
door
door
= Von Steuben Teachers
= Counselors, Aides, Cafeteria Staff
= Substitutes & “workers”
= African American Security Staff
= Occasional “English” area
UC= unused computer
T= used tray area
M = microwave(s)
C= coffeemaker
G= garbage can
F = Fridge
G
S&P= Salt & Pepper
(condiment table)