Observation Assignment – Guidance Material
Social interactions within groups and organizations are critically important to the human
experience. For this assignment, each student will conduct an “observation” exercise where she/he will
observe a group or organization and apply concepts and/or theories from the course to explain the social
forces shaping the behaviors and interactions among those involved in the observed group activities.
Examples of group settings to observe might be a meeting of a campus organization, religious services, a
sporting event, an activist rally, local government sessions, community meetings, among others. While
observing the group setting, students will document behaviors and interactions that they see and write up
a formal report that describes, 1) the social context associated with the group activity and 2) the behaviors
and interactions among individuals attending. Finally, students will conclude their report by using
sociological concepts and theories from the class to interpret and/or explain the social patterns they
observed. While the choice of a group setting to observe is up to each student, you must observe a group
in which you are NOT a member. The Observation Assignment will be due electronically via MyCourses
at 9:40 am on Thursday 4/17/18.
Starting the Observation Assignment
I want this to be a fun as well as instructional assignment, so you have flexibility in how you execute your
observation exercise. A good approach would be to start by going to the class slides and/or the Ferrante text and
review concepts and theories you are especially interested in related to socialization, social structures, culture,
deviance, gender, race/ethnicity, religion, etc., as there are clear examples of research related to group behavior
and social interactions in those materials. With that background information, you can then select a group setting
to observe. I have stipulated that you observe a group that you are NOT a member of to help reduce bias. This is
important, as it will help avoid preconceptions and assist you in systematically observing and analyzing social
interactions at your group event. I also ask that you not observe an academic class or lab.
While you have flexibility in your choice of a group setting to observe, under no circumstances, should you
choose to observe a criminal group or one that seeks to harm someone physical/emotionally/financially, or violate
UNH’s Student Code of Conduct (e.g. engage in racist or sexist hate speech) which is outlined in the 2017-2018
UNH Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities. The group setting must be open to the public and not require
confidentiality to view or attend. While it is preferable to merely attend the meeting or event, and
inconspicuously observe social interactions, you may introduce yourself and indicate that you are attending as an
observer as a part of a class assignment. However, you should not actively engage with the group or speak in a
way to try to induce certain types of speech or interactions. In short, you should be the silent observer. When
you write up your report, please do not use the names of any individuals that you observe. If you feel it is
necessary to refer to individuals, please use pseudonyms such “Soccer Player 1” or “Female Participant 2” should
you feel noting gender or other characteristic is analytically important. If you have any questions or concerns
about the group setting you select, or how to approach completing this assignment, please contact the course TA
Kristine Bundschuh or me as we are happy to help you.
To complete this assignment you will need to do the following:
1) Select a group or organization to observe and attend a group-focused event or activity. Bring a field
notebook or your laptop to take careful notes.
2) Document the individuals in attendance, their appearance, and the context for the meeting or event.
3) Systematically observe and record in writing behaviors and interactions among participants. Note down
the way people speak, present themselves, respond to others, physical interactions, etc.
4) After observing the event, carefully type up and organize your notes around key sociological themes (e.g.
cultural attributes (material and non-material), gender dynamics, socialization, etc.)
5) Identify relevant concepts and theories from the course and use them to analyze, explain, or interpret the
social interactions and behaviors you observed.
6) Prepare a formal research report documenting your observations and subsequent sociological analysis.
Once you have completed the five initial steps above, you should have the information necessary to successfully
complete item #6 – your formal research report will be your Participant Observation Paper that you will submit for
a grade on April 17th. Your paper should include two parts: Part I: Description of Groups Setting and Social
Interactions and Part II: Analysis & Discussion. Your final observation report should be in a formal academic
style (bullet points, outline structures, and casual or non-academic language are not sufficient). Also, please
proofread and edit your paper carefully for spelling and grammatical issues.
Part I – Description of Group Setting and Social Interactions
Overall – please consider the five “Ws” as you complete this assignment: “What, Where, When, Who,
Why”?
• What group or organization did you choose to observe? What was the purpose of the event you attended
and/or the general atmosphere and where did it take place?
• Who attended the event? (age, gender, race/ethnicity) Did participants have clear statuses and roles?
Were there changes in participants over the course of the event? Were there important objects or
representations of material culture present?
• What types of interactions took place among or between individuals? Did they change over the time of
the event or meeting, and why? (If you attend an event with an audience – how did group members
respond to the audience and vice versa?)
• *You may also describe observed interactions between different groups if this is pertinent to your selected
setting (e.g. between competing sports teams).
Part II – Analysis of Observation Data and Discussion
• Identify significant social interactions and explain why they are important, or illustrative of key sociological
issues or themes. (You may want to consider how the setting or elements of material culture shape social
interactions or behaviors). *Remember the five “Ws”. Provide specific details of what you observed when
defining these social interactions. (e.g., do not just write that ‘the group collaborated well’—what exactly
did you see to support that claim?)
• Use two concepts and/or theories to support your analysis of the social forces shaping the significant
interactions you noted. Make sure these theories connect to interactions you observed, not just
assumptions about the interactions. (For example, calling a sports team a ‘melting pot’ because it has
players from multiple ethnicities is not appropriate. However, if you hear the players speaking multiple
languages to each other, this concept might be relevant).
• Please clearly define each of the concepts and/or theories you use in your analysis section. Those
definitions should come from the Ferrante text or my class slides.
• In concluding your discussion section, please reflect on what you have learned from completing this
assignment or consider broader sociological insights that might be drawn from your observations and
analysis.
While there is not a required length for the Observation Paper, I would anticipate you needing two to three pages
(double-spaced) to describe, analyze, and discuss your observation experience. When writing your paper, please
remember to refer back to this document to confirm that your paper addresses all of the content described in the
bullet-points above for Parts I and II.
Examples of Group or Organizational Settings to Observe
(*You are welcome to choose others that are not on this list.)
• Observe a sports team at a game or practice
• Attend a religious service
• Attend a community meeting
• Attend a meeting of a local government or student government
• Attend an activist or advocacy rally
• Attend a meeting of a campus organization
• Attend a theater production, a comedy show, or a concert
• Others of your interest – be creative!
Electronic Submission
All Observation Assignments must be submitted electronically via the Soc 400 MyCourses website by 9:40
am on Tuesday, April 17th
. Please go to the “Assignments” tab on MyCourses, and then click on
“Observation Assignment”, and then “Submit Assignment”. Please choose “submit a file” and upload your
completed assignment as a PDF, Word Doc, or TXT file. If you have issues submitting your paper through
MyCourses please feel free to contact the course TA Kristine Bundschuh, email:
kab1098@wildcats.unh.edu.
Grading
The Observation Assignment is worth 10 points toward your final course grade. Your score will be based
on: 1) a clear description of sociologically relevant features and/or interactions at your group event, 2)
your ability to explain the social factors shaping the group interactions you observe using concepts and/or
theories from the course, and 3) your broader reflections on the sociological insights that can be drawn for
your observation exercise. Please see the “Observation Assignment Rubric” posted on the Soc 400
MyCourses page for specific information about how this assignment will be graded.
Additional Assistance
Both the course TA Kristine Bundschuh and I are available to assist with this assignment. If you would like
our assistance, please stop by during our office hours or contact us via email well before the due date.
